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Israel has issued one of the most expansive evacuation orders of the war in Gaza, declaring large portions of Gaza City “unsafe” ahead of what the military has called “intense strikes” on suspected Hamas targets.
The order affects thousands of civilians currently sheltering in buildings such as the Islamic University, Al-Shifa Hospital, and three former schools — sites which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) allege are being used by Hamas as command centers.
The IDF’s announcement marks a significant escalation in a conflict that has already spanned over 20 months, with vast areas of Gaza reduced to rubble and a humanitarian catastrophe deepening by the day.
Local authorities and aid organizations have raised urgent concerns over the feasibility of evacuating such densely populated areas in time.
Many of the targeted sites are currently serving as makeshift shelters for displaced families who have nowhere else to go. Aid workers warn that evacuations under such conditions could lead to massive casualties.
“This is one of the most alarming developments we’ve seen yet,” said a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “Telling people to move without providing safe corridors or basic guarantees of protection is a recipe for disaster.”
In a rare break from mainstream Israeli political consensus, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke out against the continued expansion of military operations in Gaza. In an interview with the BBC, Olmert said, “Most Israelis are against what is happening. Large numbers of the [army’s] commanders want to end the war right now.”
Olmert, who has become an outspoken critic of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned the suffering inflicted on Gaza’s population. “It’s totally intolerable, unacceptable and unforgivable. It needs to be stopped right away,” he said. “We can’t allow morally the beginning of famine in Gaza. That has to stop.”
Though his remarks have drawn harsh criticism from pro-government media — some accusing him of “lobbying for Palestinians” — they reflect growing unease in some segments of Israeli society and among international observers.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently called Israel’s actions in Gaza “shameful,” a comment that drew a sharp rebuke from Netanyahu, who accused him of “standing with Hamas.”
The humanitarian toll continues to grow. A UN-backed assessment warns that Gaza’s 2.1 million residents are at “critical risk” of famine, facing “extreme levels of food insecurity” amid a 10-week blockade that has prevented food, medicine, and fuel from entering the territory.
The World Health Organization has echoed those warnings, saying that without clean water, healthcare, and nutrition, an entire generation in Gaza may suffer permanent damage.
Despite these warnings, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told the BBC, “Israel is certainly not starving Gaza. I don’t dispute that there is hunger… but we believe it is hunger caused by Hamas.”
Since the resumption of Israel’s aerial bombardment on March 18, 2,799 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, including 80 people on Wednesday alone.
As Gaza braces for another round of airstrikes, aid groups and international leaders are pleading for a ceasefire and the urgent delivery of humanitarian assistance — before the already dire situation becomes even more catastrophic.