Gaza, August 27, 2025: The Israeli military on Wednesday warned Palestinians that the evacuation of Gaza City was “inevitable” as its forces prepared to seize the city, long described as Hamas’s last stronghold.
In a message on X, the army’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, urged families to move south, saying those who did would “receive the most generous humanitarian aid.”
Overnight, Israeli tanks pushed into a new area of northern Gaza City, forcing more residents to flee, witnesses said. The United Nations estimates about one million Palestinians remain in the city, with thousands displaced in recent days by the latest advances.
The warning comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is due to chair a White House meeting on a post-war framework for Gaza. Washington has said it is working on “a very comprehensive plan” for the territory’s future, though details remain unclear.
Israeli forces entered the Ibad al-Rahman district late Tuesday, destroying several homes before retreating toward Jabalia, according to residents and Reuters. Bombardments also continued in the Shejaiya, Zeitoun, and Sabra neighborhoods.
The Israeli army said its troops fought militants on Gaza City’s outskirts and in Jabalia, killing a “terrorist cell” and seizing a weapons cache.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to conquer the entire Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage deal collapsed last month. But he faces growing international pressure as well as mass domestic protests. On Tuesday night, tens of thousands rallied in Tel Aviv demanding a deal to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza. Israel says only 20 of the 50 remaining captives are believed to be alive.
The conflict, now in its 11th month, began after Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage. Since then, at least 62,900 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Humanitarian agencies warn that Gaza is already facing famine, with over 90% of homes damaged or destroyed, health and sanitation systems collapsed, and the majority of the population repeatedly displaced. The UN has cautioned that a full-scale Israeli offensive in Gaza City would have “horrific humanitarian consequences.”
