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A new declaration targeted eastern Gaza City, including several areas that had been declared evacuation zones. The United Nations said 390,000 people had been displaced in recent weeks.
April 11, 2025, 7:10 a.m. ET
The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for neighborhoods in Gaza City on Friday as it pressed forward with its offensive in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, once again delivering a painful choice to Palestinians about whether to stay or go.
The orders targeted eastern Gaza City, including several parts that the military had declared evacuation zones last week. The move suggested that some people had remained in their homes even after the Israeli military had urged them to leave.
Since the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in March, Israel has issued a succession of evacuation orders across Gaza as it takes territory to create what it calls a “security zone” and targets Hamas. The orders have left many Palestinians debating whether to stay in their neighborhoods despite the danger or leave despite the miserable conditions of displacement.
While the United Nations has said that 390,000 people have been displaced in recent weeks, the exact number of people remaining in evacuation zones was unclear.
“We don’t want to leave,” said Ahmad al-Masri, 26, a resident of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza who has spurned evacuation orders for his town. “Where will we go? It’s so very tiring.”
In some parts of Gaza, the military has issued evacuation orders and later invaded by ground. In other areas, it has put out evacuation orders, but has not sent in infantry. At least some Palestinians who have disregarded evacuation orders said they would leave if Israeli tanks move into their neighborhoods.
