Israel’s military has announced a six-hour window for Palestinians to flee south along specified streets within Gaza, as tens of thousands leave their homes following a stark evacuation order ahead of a possible Israeli ground assault.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warned more than 1 million residents in northern Gaza to evacuate on Friday, as it massed troops and military equipment at the border, and continued bombarding the territory with relentless airstrikes in response to the deadly October 7 attacks by Islamist militant group Hamas.
Even before the warning, more than 400,000 Palestinians had already been internally displaced by the past week of fighting as conditions worsen inside the bombarded strip.
But the evacuation order and the prospect of a potential incursion have been sharply criticized by rights groups, including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) head, who warned that such a move could bring “catastrophic humanitarian consequences.”
The IDF announced on Saturday it would allow people to move south “for their own safety” on specified streets of Gaza from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time, according to a statement shared by the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson Avishay Adraee on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The IDF claimed Hamas leaders had already taken measures to protect themselves from strikes in the area.
It is unclear how widely the messaging has been received on the ground given the current electricity and internet blackout.
When asked by CNN how this six-hour window has been communicated to citizens in Gaza, IDF spokesperson Maj. Doron Spielman said that “everybody in Gaza City now knows exactly what’s happening.”
“They’ve been notified in Arabic, in multiple languages on every available platform, both electronic and non-electronic platforms. Everyone in Gaza City knows that they need to go past Wadi Gaza.”
Spielman confirmed the IDF had dropped leaflets informing people in Gaza about the IDF’s announcement.
However, CNN has talked to a United Nations Relief and Works Agency school official, a paramedic and a journalist on the ground who were all unaware of this latest advisory on Saturday.
Meanwhile, CNN has geolocated and authenticated five videos from the scene of a large explosion along one of the evacuation routes for civilians south of Gaza City.
The videos show many dead bodies amid a scene of extensive destruction. Some of those bodies are on a flat-bed trailer that appears to have been used to carry people away from Gaza City. They include several children. There are also a number of badly burned and damaged cars.
It’s unclear what caused the widespread devastation; the explosion occurred on Salah al-Deen Street on Friday afternoon.
CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on any airstrikes in the same location.
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