The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have ordered the full evacuation of Gaza City as they prepare to launch an expanded military offensive. Experts have warned that the action will be “catastrophic” in the current situation and will endanger the lives of “countless civilians”.

The Israeli military broadcast messages online to order the evacuation, stating that they would attack Gaza City with “great force”. They urged residents to leave the city via the Al-Rashid coastal road to arrive at a supposed humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi.

Leaflets showing a map of the route were also dropped onto the city, as the IDF stated that remaining in the area would be “extremely dangerous”.

The evacuation order followed a video shared by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, September 8, saying that a ground incursion that has already taken place in Gaza City was “only the beginning of the main, intensive operation”.

“I say to the residents of Gaza, take this opportunity and listen to me carefully: you have been warned — get out of there,” he stated.

Such warnings come after Israel’s security cabinet and defence ministry approved a plan to conquer Gaza City earlier in August. The plan has drawn widespread international condemnation, as the city is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

The expansion of Israel’s assault on Gaza City will endanger the lives of “countless civilians”, the charity ActionAid has warned. The organisation further stated that they are “gravely alarmed by the planned reoccupation of Gaza City”, which will cause further devastation for people who are already facing famine due to Israel’s aid restrictions.

Ajith Sunghay, from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that Israel’s plan will be “catastrophic”.

“What we are going to see is something we haven’t seen before…they’re destroying everything that is needed for civilian survival,” he told the BBC’s Newsday. “All civilian structures, whether it is water tanks, roads, buildings, they’ve all been destroyed…we have seen in the northern part of Gaza they have levelled it, and we fear Gaza City will face the same consequences.”

Over 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its genocidal military assault on Gaza in October 2023. Moreover, people in Gaza are currently facing the “worst-case scenario of famine” due to an aid blockade imposed by Israel. The blockade is causing what the World Health Organization (WHO) described as a “man-made” mass starvation.

According to figures disclosed by Gaza health officials, six more Palestinians have died of starvation over the past 24 hours. It brings the total number of deaths caused by starvation to 399 people, including 140 children.

Meanwhile, one of the vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a mission attempting to break Israel’s siege on Gaza and deliver aid to Palestinians, has been hit by a drone at Sidi Bou Said port in Tunisia. While the boat sustained fire damage, all six passengers and crew are safe.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is an international initiative which includes delegations from 44 countries, marking the largest coordinated civilian flotilla in history. Passengers include the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, queer Irish author Naoise Dolan, and queer Irish poet Sarah Clancy.