For the third consecutive day, images surfaced on Monday showing civilians evacuating en masse from Jabaliya, a northern Gaza Strip area where the IDF has been conducting intensive raids for the past three weeks.
Following the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who imposed a reign of terror in the area, IDF Arabic spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee said, "The fear barrier of [Yahya] Sinwar has cracked," attributing the civilian exodus to the breakdown of Hamas' control.
Gazans fleeing Jabaliya in droves
In the last 24 hours, the IDF’s 162nd Division reported destroying key terrorist infrastructure and tunnel shafts in Jabaliya. Soldiers from the 401st Brigade, whose commander Col. Ehsan Daxa was killed in Jabaliya on Sunday, neutralized several terrorists through tank fire, close combat and air force strikes.
Gazans have claimed that IDF forces intensified their operations, surrounding schools that had been sheltering displaced civilians. Residents also reported that Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of civilians from Jabaliya, including areas around hospitals, which medical teams say are struggling under the pressure of the ongoing raids.
Now in its third week, the 162nd Division's incursion into Jabaliya continues. Previous IDF operations in the area occurred in November, December and May, but unlike earlier efforts, the current offensive faces the challenge of evacuating civilians from a densely populated city where Hamas operatives have rebuilt significant military capabilities.
According to IDF assessments, the Jabaliya raid is expected to last several more weeks, if not months. Hundreds of terrorists have been eliminated since the operation began, and large weapons caches and re-dug tunnels used by Hamas have been discovered.
Raed, a resident of Jabaliya, expressed his anguish to Reuters, saying, "We face death from bombs, hunger and thirst. Jabaliya is being erased, and there are no witnesses to the crime here. The world averts its gaze."
Israeli officials, however, emphasized that the evacuations are aimed at separating Hamas terrorists from civilians and rejected claims that the operation is part of a broader plan to displace residents from Jabaliya or the northern Gaza Strip.
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