250,000 left under siege Gaza City

JERUSALEM (AFP) — The Israeli military said Saturday that more than 250,000 people had fled Gaza City since it began intensifying operations there, as Palestinian officials reported many had been unable to evacuate south due to overcrowding.

The United Nations estimated in late August that about one million Palestinians lived in and around Gaza’s largest urban center, where it said a famine was unfolding after months of worsening conditions.

The world body and members of the international community have urged the military to abandon its plans to capture the city, warning the assault and ensuing displacement could worsen the already dire humanitarian situation.

On Saturday, Arabic-language army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X that “more than a quarter of a million residents of Gaza City have moved out of the city for their own safety.”

Gaza’s civil defense agency, however, reported a much lower figure, saying fewer than 70,000 had managed to leave.

Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean Agence France-Presse (AFP) is unable to independently verify details provided by the military or the civil defense.

The Israeli military dropped leaflets Saturday urging residents in western districts to evacuate, as the civil defense reported continuous air strikes.