Israel’s deadline for Gaza evacuation closes in: What to know 

As Israel’s military orders 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to immediately evacuate, questions remain as to what forces are expected to do and when they will officially begin. 

The evacuation, ordered by Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF), comes ahead of an apparent ramped-up bombardment in retaliation for Hamas’ attack on Israel, which began Oct. 7. 

Israel has already slammed the cramped strip of land with deadly airstrikes for nearly a week — killing at least 1,900 people and injuring thousands more — with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning Friday that “it’s only the beginning.” 

And Israeli forces have amassed near the Gaza’s border ahead of a possible ground assault, with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres claiming the situation “has reached a dangerous new low.” 

Here’s what to know about the situation as it unfolds. 

The deadline remains unclear 

Israel gave the civilians 24 hours to leave their homes, with thousands of Palestinians cramming their possessions into vehicles, carts or carrying what they could and walking in a mass evacuation southward, according to media images. 

But it’s unclear if Israel will keep with the initial 24 hours. 

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an independent medical humanitarian organization, wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Israel has given Al Awda Hospital in northern Gaza just two hours to evacuate.  

Staff at the hospital, one of several that MSF supports in Gaza, were “still treating patients,” and are “trying to protect our staff and patients,” the organization said.

There’s also been some confusion as to whether Israel will extend the deadline, with reports that Jerusalem has modified it and left it open. 

But Israeli officials have refused to clarify their position, with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday declining to answer a question about the deadline at a press conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. 

Instead, Gallant diverted, insisting that Israeli forces “will not shoot civilians on purpose.   

“We are asking all the civilians in Gaza City to go south of Gaza.  And the reason is that because we don’t want to harm them,” he said, refusing to answer a second, follow up query on the deadline. 

Should the deadline hold and Israel moves ahead with a ground invasion, it appears unlikely that 1.1 million people will safely evacuate before forces roll in, with the United Nations saying such a movement was “impossible.” 

More on the order  

Israel’s order came early Friday ahead of an expected ground invasion, a retaliation for Hamas’ surprise, coordinated attack that killed some 1,300 Israelis and 1,500 Hamas fighters, according to Israel’s government. 

Israel said it needed to access and target Hamas’ military infrastructure — with much of it underground — promising “extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians,” Israeli spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said, according to The Associated Press. He also said residents could return once the fighting is over. 

“Those who want to save their life, please go south,” Gallant said alongside Austin. “We are going to destroy Hamas infrastructures, Hamas headquarters, Hamas military establishment, and take these phenomena out of Gaza and out of the Earth.” 

But the instructions for civilians to evacuate were a surprise to many, including the United States. 

“There was no prior consultation that I’m aware of before the [Israel Defense Forces] issued that evacuation warning,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. 

He added that Washington is “concerned” about civilian casualties as is working on options for those fleeing to do so safely.  

“We want to make sure that those who want to leave have the ability to leave. And so we are working very aggressively with the Israelis and the Egyptians to try to find a safe passage out of southern Gaza,” Kirby said. “And we also want to preserve the ability to get humanitarian assistance in.” 

Complicating matters, Hamas is reportedly telling residents not to leave and to instead stay in their homes, even going so far as to put up roadblocks  

Adding to the confusion is Israel’s siege of Gaza, which has cut off electricity and prevented evacuation messages from reaching civilians. 

The world’s response 

International organizations have responded to Israel’s orders with alarm, with the International Committee of the Red Cross calling such instructions “not compatible with international humanitarian law.” 

United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said such an evacuation was not possible without “devastating humanitarian consequences,” calling on Jerusalem to rescind its orders. 

Human rights watchdog group Amnesty International, meanwhile, said the order “cannot be considered an effective warning,” calling for it to be “rescinded immediately.” 

The instruction “may amount to forced displacement of the civilian population, a violation of international humanitarian law,” the group said in a statement. 

Western officials also reacted with trepidation, with President Biden telling reporters he was working “urgently to address the humanitarian crisis” in Gaza. 

And appearing on MSNBC on Friday, Kirby said that the instruction was a “tall order.” 

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) argued the mass expulsion of over 1 million people in a day “is ethnic cleansing.” 

Responses also came from unlikely individuals, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said the civilian casualties caused by an Israeli ground invasion “will be absolutely unacceptable.” 

Egypt under pressure  

As the situation grows more dire, there’s been new pressure on Egypt to open its borders to fleeing civilians. 

Civilians in Gaza, which sits on the Mediterranean Sea and is bordered by Egypt and Israel, are not able to move freely through border crossings as they are almost all controlled by Israel. Instead, individuals need to be granted special permits, which are rare, to cross into both countries. 

Egypt, which so far has resisted to accept a mass exodus of Palestinians, is being called on to make an exception at a time of war. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week said the United States was in “ongoing” talks with Egypt and Israel to set up a humanitarian corridor at the Rafah border crossing, a passage controlled by Egypt, for Americans and other civilians in Gaza. 

But Blinken said the situation was “understandably complicated.” 

On Friday, the White House revealed that U.S. national security officials held calls with the United Nations on Thursday and Friday about the situation in Gaza, but did not say whether the calls have confirmed a deal to allow foreign nationals to cross into Egypt. 

Even if Egypt does open its borders as a humanitarian corridor, that option isn’t necessarily safe — as the Israeli military has bombed crossing at the border several times. 

The situation in Gaza now 

Israel has relentlessly struck Gaza over the past week, leveling whole neighborhoods even as it has enacted a complete blockage of food, water and medical supplies.  

The strip of land is also under a virtual total power blackout, with hospitals and residents relying on generators for power and fuel supplies dwindling.  

The siege has caused more than 423,000 Palestinians in Gaza to be displaced internally, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The numbers are only increasing as Israeli airstrikes continue and are expected to jump ever higher with Israel’s expected ground assault. 

As Israel prepares for the imminent ground invasion — with troops massing along the Gaza border — its forces have entered the territory to conduct raids in search of some 150 hostages thought to be held by Hamas, according to its military.  

Should the more than 1 million Palestinians in Gaza’s north make it to the south, that would cram the territory’s entire population into only a 25-mile strip. 

And, even that journey isn’t safe, with Hamas’ media office reporting that airstrikes on Gaza City hit cars in three locations, killing 70 people as residents attempted to flee.  

Israel’s army so far hasn’t promised to protect civilian locations such as hospitals, schools and U.N. shelters, with military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari only saying that forces would keep civilians safe “as much as we can,” but he that “it’s a war zone.”