IDF begins warning calls for evacuation in northern Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it has begun issuing initial warning calls to medical officials and international organisations in the northern Gaza Strip, in preparation for a evacuation of civilians from Gaza city to the south.

According to the IDF, officers from the Gaza District Coordination and Liaison in COGAT made the first calls on August 19, informing relevant parties about possible developments and the need to prepare medical infrastructure in the southern Gaza Strip, Caliber.Az reports per the IDF statement. 

The military said adjustments are being made to hospitals in the south to accommodate patients and wounded individuals, while additional medical equipment is being brought in following requests from international aid organisations.

In one of the conversations, an IDF Gaza District Coordination and Liaison officer told a senior health official in northern Gaza:

“I am contacting you regarding the possibility of the army entering Gaza City, there will be a full evacuation from Gaza to the southern Strip. This requires you to prepare a plan to transfer the medical equipment from north to south, so that you will be able to provide treatment for all the patients in the southern Strip and prepare the hospitals to receive the patients coming from the north, it is important to us that you receive this from an official source. We are going to provide you with a place to be in, whether it is a field hospital or any other hospital.”

The IDF also released a recording of the phone call between its officer and the senior health official.

By Sabina Mammadli