ISRAEL has issued a new evacuation order for Gaza City as 35 Palestinians were killed in the last 24-hour period.
It comes amid rising pressure after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
Footage verified by Al Jazeera confirmed that the Israeli military issued new displacement orders for Gaza City’s Shujayea area, with an “urgent warning” telling Palestinians to leave the area posted on social media at about 6.30pm on Saturday evening – two hours after sunset.
This led to hundreds of Palestinians fleeing the area in the dark, taking what they could carry, after the army threatened the area would become a “dangerous combat zone”.
Palestinians in Gaza City are facing additional pressures due to poor weather conditions, with heavy rain threatening residents due to extensive damage to sewage and stormwater networks.
Asem Alnabih, spokesperson for Gaza City Municipality, said on Twitter/X that heavy rain has been pouring in the city since Sunday morning.
He said that since October 7 last year, “the [Israeli] occupation has destroyed more than 175,000 metres of sewage pipelines, 15,000 metres of stormwater drainage systems, and 105,000 metres of water supply networks”.
Alnabih added: “There is an urgent need to provide pipes and materials to repair the Sheikh Radwan Basin drainage system.
“Delays in providing the necessary pipes and equipment for the Sheikh Radwan drainage repairs could lead to a catastrophic disaster, endangering the lives of residents and displaced families in homes and shelters near the basin.”
The latest figures from Gaza’s health ministry show that at least 44,211 people have been killed and 104,567 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
This figure includes 35 Palestinians who were killed and 94 who were wounded in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, at least three people were injured after rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel.
On Sunday morning, the Israeli ambulance service said three people were wounded in Petah Tikva, east of Tel Aviv, after rockets were launched.
It is believed the attack was in response to Israeli attacks seen on Saturday in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, which killed 20 people.
