According to a report by the Times of Israel on October 1, Israeli Defense Minister Katz said that day that the Israel Defense Forces were close to encircling Gaza City and that local residents had a "last chance" to evacuate. Katz added that local residents who want to leave need to pass through Israeli checkpoints. According to reports, the evacuation will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza City. The United Nations declared a state of famine in Gaza City in a report in August.
At the time of Katz’s final notice, Gaza’s medical department said at least 35 people were killed by Israeli artillery. On the same day, militants in the north of the Gaza Strip fired two rockets at the south of Israel but were intercepted by the Israeli Defense Forces. A few hours later, five more rockets were fired from the north of Gaza to the southern port city of Ashdod, four of which were hit by air defense forces and the fifth fell in the empty area.
The IDF is currently occupying the western part of the Nezarim corridor in the south of Gaza City down to the coast, "splitting Gaza in two, forming north and south," Katz said in a press release. "This will strengthen the siege of Gaza City, and everyone leaving southern Gaza City will be forced to pass through IDF checkpoints," Katz said. "This is the last chance for Gaza residents to move south and isolate Hamas in Gaza City in the face of the ongoing activity of the IDF."
"The IDF is preparing for all possibilities and is determined to continue its operations until all hostages return, Hamas disarms and ultimately end the war," Katz said.
The decision will put pressure on those who have not yet left Gaza City and prevent hundreds of thousands of residents fleeing to the south from returning home, according to AFP, according to local residents in Gaza City that Israeli planes and tanks bombed residential areas all night.
"The explosions didn't stop," said Rabbah Halabi, who lives in a Al-Shifa Hospital tent in Gaza City. He told AFP: "I will not leave because the situation in Gaza City is no different from the situation in the southern Gaza Strip. All areas are dangerous, there are bombings everywhere. We are waiting for death, or waiting for a truce to come."
The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement: “As long as the circumstances allow, the International Committee of the Red Cross’s offices in Del Barah and Rafah will continue to work to support the civilians in Gaza City, which are still fully operational.”