Over 20,000 evacuate northern Gaza as IDF breaks Hamas blockade PHOTO/VIDEO

Over 20,000 residents have evacuated from Jabalia, a region in the northern Gaza Strip, following a breakthrough of the Hamas blockade that began on the morning of October 22.

According to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), among those fleeing were militants from various factions who attempted to blend in with the civilian population to reach southern areas of the Strip, Caliber.Az reports per Israeli media.

Approximately 150 of these individuals were apprehended during the evacuations.

The IDF has stated it is “breaking the Hamas siege on Jabaliya” by “allowing civilians to evacuate for their safety in a safe manner and through organized routes.”

According to the IDF, “the breaking of the Hamas siege on Jabaliya is manifested in tens of thousands of civilians evacuating from the area since yesterday morning, despite the efforts by Hamas to prevent [them].”

The statement further notes that the military and COGAT are coordinating with the international community and health authorities in Gaza to “maintain the ongoing functioning of the emergency systems of the hospitals, through the transfer of medical equipment and the supply of fuel subject to the operational situation, along with the evacuation of staff [and] patients.”

Notably, the Israeli military launched major air strikes on Tyre, the fourth-largest city in Lebanon, after ordering its residents to evacuate the area on October 23 morning. 

Moreover, Israeli attacks continued across the Gaza Strip, with at least one UNRWA staff member having been killed in one of those strikes.

In Gaza, at least 42,792 people have been killed and 100,412 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023 according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, and more than 200 were taken captive.

By Aghakazim Guliyev