Israel is making preparations to mass-displace Gazans starting Sunday, relocating them from combat zones to the south of the enclave "to ensure their safety," the military claimed Saturday.
This comes days after Israel said it intended to launch a new offensive to seize control of northern Gaza City, the enclave's largest urban center, in a plan that raised international alarm over the fate of the demolished strip, home to about 2.2 million people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Sunday said that before launching the offensive, the civilian population will be evacuated to what he described as "safe zones" from Gaza City, which he called Hamas' last stronghold.
The shelter equipment will be transferred via the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza by the United Nations and other international relief organizations after being inspected by Defense Ministry personnel, the military said.
A spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed concern over Israel's plans to relocate people to southern Gaza, saying it would only increase suffering.
