Israel said Saturday it will begin moving Palestinians out of Gaza City as it prepares a major military offensive to capture the Strip’s largest urban center. To facilitate the evacuation, Israel will resume the supply of tents and shelter equipment on Sunday, marking the first such delivery in more than six months.
The shipments, coordinated by the UN and international agencies, will pass through the Kerem Shalom Crossing after Israeli security inspections, according to COGAT, the Defense Ministry body overseeing humanitarian aid. “This is part of the IDF’s preparations to move the population from combat zones to the southern Gaza Strip for their protection,” COGAT said in a statement.
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The cabinet approved the Gaza City operation last week, though some military officials expressed caution. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is reviewing operational plans at Southern Command before presenting them to Defense Minister Israel Katz. IDF forces have already pushed into Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, where Hamas’s civil defense agency claimed dozens of deaths in recent strikes—figures that could not be independently verified.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel’s long-term aim is to dismantle Hamas and then hand governance of Gaza to an authority that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority. “We want to liberate ourselves and liberate the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas,” he said.
Israel also granted Indonesia permission to join airdrops of humanitarian aid, adding to a list of countries that includes Canada, Jordan, the UAE, and several European states. Officials note, however, that airdrops provide only a fraction of the supplies that can be delivered by truck.
The war, now in its 23rd month, began with Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel. Fifty hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of them are believed to be alive. Families of captives are urging nationwide protests to pressure the government to secure their release.