In a significant development amid indirect peace talks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have issued a mass evacuation order for southern Gaza.
The announcement came late Friday night from IDF’s Arabic language spokesman, Avichay Adraee.
Adraee stated, “Hamas and terrorist organisations are firing rockets from your area towards the State of Israel,” signaling a forceful response from Israeli forces against these groups.
Meanwhile, the IDF has called for residents and displaced individuals in Beit Hanoon to relocate to central Gaza, as tensions escalate.
The peace negotiations, facilitated by the United States, took place in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday and Friday.
The US delegation, led by CIA Director William Burns, engaged with representatives from Qatar and Egypt, including Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Egyptian Intelligence Chief Major General Abbas Kamel.
The Israeli delegation was led by Mossad Chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.
US President Joe Biden has expressed optimism about the discussions and has been in contact with Qatari Prime Minister and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi regarding the talks.
The next round of negotiations is likely to take place in Cairo next week.
The United Nations has however reported that the evacuation orders will impact over 170,000 displaced people, marking one of the largest such orders in southern Gaza to date.
Since the outbreak of violence on 7 October 2023, Hamas militants have targeted southern Israel, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.
Currently, 111 hostages remain in Hamas custody, with their release being a key condition for the ongoing mediation efforts.
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