Hundreds flee northern Gaza as Israeli army orders fresh evacuations

The Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of new areas of northern Gaza, setting off a fresh wave of civilian displacements yesterday as intense airstrikes continued across much of the territory.

- Jason Burke, William Christou

In Jerusalem, a senior minister said the war in Gaza was far from over and that Israel would stay "for years" in the territory. "Gaza will never be a threat to the state of Israel, no matter how long it is going to take... I think that we are going to stay in Gaza for a long time... I think most people understand that that will be years," said Avi Dichter, a member of Israel's security cabinet.

The Israel Defense Forces said the evacuation orders for the Shujaiya neighbourhood were issued after Palestinian militants fired rockets at Israel on Saturday from a location in the densely populated district. Hamas's armed wing said it had targeted an army base over the border.

The IDF routinely circulates warnings by social media, pamphlets and phone, telling people to leave areas that will be attacked. "For your safety, you must evacuate immediately to the south," an IDF post on X said.

Families living in the targeted areas began fleeing their homes after nightfall on Saturday and into yesterday's early hours, witnesses and Palestinian media said. Images on social media showed hundreds leaving Shujaiya on donkey carts and rickshaws, with others, including children, walking.