Israel expands humanitarian zone in southern Gaza for evacuation of residents

The Israeli army has announced the expansion of a humanitarian zone in the Al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip, urging civilians in the northern part of the enclave to begin evacuating.

This announcement comes as Israel launches a new military operation targeting Hamas militants in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

"The expanded humanitarian zone includes field hospitals set up since the war began, along with tent camps, and supplies of food, water, medicine, and medical equipment," the statement read.

The Israeli army noted that two humanitarian evacuation routes from northern Gaza have been reopened to facilitate the movement of civilians to the south. One route runs along Salah al-Din Highway, while the other follows the coastal Ar-Rashid Highway. In addition, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released two maps for Palestinian civilians, highlighting potential evacuation areas in northern Gaza.

Earlier, Israeli forces announced the start of a new operation in Jabalia, where units of the 162nd Division were deployed, supported by airstrikes targeting dozens of locations overnight. According to Israeli military intelligence, Hamas had rebuilt its operational capabilities in the area. The ongoing operation aims to "systematically destroy terrorist infrastructure in the region" and will continue "as long as necessary to achieve its objectives," according to the Israeli statement.

By Khagan Isayev