9:53 a.m. ET, October 14, 2023
Israel’s six-hour order for Palestinians to leave Gaza has ended. Here’s what we know
From CNN staff
Mohamed Saber/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
A six-hour window provided by the Israeli military to complete the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from Gaza City to the southern Strip ended at 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET) on Saturday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told residents to move toward the Gaza Strip, in a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. It’s unclear how widely messages on the ground have been received by the current power and internet blackouts.
The Israeli military’s order came a day after the 1.1 million people living in northern Gaza were told to evacuate their homes.
The IDF has flooded the border with troops and military equipment amid a relentless offensive along the border in response to a large-scale incursion by the militant group Hamas on October 7.
Earlier on Saturday, IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said Israel’s air, land and sea blockade of Gaza would continue for a seventh day.
“We are preparing for the next steps,” he added, but did not share information on whether and when it would land infiltration.
What we know: IDF Arab spokesman Avishay Atrey said the army will allow safe movement on certain streets between 10 am and 4 pm local time (3 am to 9 am). City residents southward from Beit Hanoun to Khan Yunis were advised to use this window. In addition, residents of Al-Shed, Al-Rimal and West Al-Zaytoun areas are “allowed to move” along Taldul and Al-Sana streets towards Salah Al-Din and Al-Bahr streets, Atrey said.
Evacuees killed: Hamas media office CNN Israeli military airstrike kills 70 and injures 200 evacuees. Hamas said airstrikes hit evacuees in Salah al-Din Street, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin Street and three locations near Wadi Gaza. Earlier, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed that a “large number” of dead and wounded people, including women and children, had arrived at Al-Shifa Hospital, located in the Al-Rimal area – after shelling on their way from the north. Gaza to the south.
