TEL AVIV (Realist English). The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said late Sunday that roughly 550,000 Palestinian civilians have now evacuated Gaza City, more than half of the nearly one million residents who lived there before the current military operation began.
Initial evacuations two weeks ago saw about 70,000 people leave the city. By early last week the number had reached 250,000, climbing to 400,000 by the end of the week. At the present pace, the IDF estimated, most of the remaining civilian population could be evacuated within weeks — or sooner if departures accelerate.
The military said Hamas has continued efforts to block civilians from fleeing but is struggling as Israeli ground forces push deeper into the city and heavy aerial, artillery and tank bombardments target militant activity. According to the IDF, resistance from Hamas fighters has been limited, with “a few dozen” killed since the start of the operation.
Israel, however, faces growing diplomatic fallout. A wave of countries has moved to recognize Palestinian statehood, a step officials described as retaliation for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on continuing the Gaza campaign.
Separately, the IDF reported that 10 Israeli soldiers were injured Sunday morning when a military vehicle overturned in northern Gaza. The troops were evacuated to hospitals; their names have not yet been released.