‘Swallowing More Land’: Israel orders evacuations In Gaza For First Time Since October Ceasefire

Israeli forces have ordered dozens of Palestinian families in the southern Gaza Strip to leave their homes, marking the first forced evacuation since an October ceasefire came into effect, residents and

Hamas officials said on Tuesday.

Residents of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis, said Israeli forces dropped leaflets on Monday over tent encampments in the Al-Reqeb neighbourhood, ordering families to leave immediately.

The leaflets, written in Arabic, Hebrew and English, warned: “Urgent message. The area is under IDF control. You must evacuate immediately.”

During the two-year war before the ceasefire, Israel frequently dropped similar notices ahead of raids or air strikes, forcing families to flee repeatedly. Residents and a Hamas source said this was the first such evacuation order since the truce was agreed. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ceasefire under strain

The ceasefire has stalled after its initial phase, under which major fighting halted, Israel withdrew from less than half of Gaza, and Hamas released hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees and prisoners.

Despite the truce, nearly Gaza’s entire population of more than two million people remains crowded into roughly a third of the enclave, living largely in makeshift tents and damaged buildings under an administration led by Hamas.

Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of serious ceasefire violations and remain deeply divided over the next, more complex phases of the agreement.

‘Swallowing more land’

Mahmoud, a resident of Bani Suhaila who declined to give his family name, said the evacuation orders affected at least 70 families living in tents and partially damaged homes.

“We fled the area and moved west,” he told Reuters by phone from Khan Younis. “This is maybe the fourth or fifth time the occupation has expanded the yellow line since last month.”

Each expansion, he said, pushes the boundary 120 to 150 metres deeper into Palestinian-controlled territory, “swallowing more land” with every move.