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More than 1 million Palestinians, including over 350,000 children, remain in Gaza City and its northern areas despite Israel’s offensive and evacuation orders, the Gaza Media Office said Friday.
The office said Israel has forced over 800,000 people into the al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis and Rafah, which it described as lacking basic services such as hospitals, shelter, water, food, and electricity.
“We affirm that more than one million Palestinians…remain in Gaza City and the north, steadfast in their land, homes, and properties, and rejecting outright the scheme of forced displacement,” the office said in a statement.
The office said monitoring teams observed a “reverse displacement” as thousands of Palestinians returned north after finding southern areas uninhabitable. According to its data, 68,000 people were forced south under bombardment and threats, but more than 20,000 had returned by Thursday.
It estimated Gaza City and northern Gaza’s combined population at 1.3 million—with about 914,000 in Gaza City and 398,000 in the north—noting that nearly 300,000 residents have been displaced from eastern neighborhoods into central and western parts of the city.
The statement said Israel had bombed the designated “humanitarian” area of al-Mawasi at least 109 times, killing more than 2,000 people. It added that the zone covers less than 12% of Gaza’s territory, yet Israel is attempting to force more than 1.7 million people into it.
The Gaza Media Office called the displacement permanent and in violation of international law, citing Israeli statements that residents would not be allowed to return to Gaza City or the north.
The office urged the international community, the United Nations, and courts to “act urgently to stop these crimes, hold occupation leaders accountable, and guarantee the right of Palestinian civilians to remain on their land in safety and dignity.”
On Aug. 8, Israel approved a plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to gradually occupy Gaza, beginning with the displacement of residents from Gaza City to the south, followed by encirclement of the city and incursions into residential areas, according to Israel’s public broadcaster.
At the start of the plan, tens of thousands fled Gaza City’s southern, eastern, and northern neighborhoods to its central and western parts, which soon also came under bombardment.
Despite the attacks, most residents have continued moving within the city rather than leaving for the south.
The Gaza Media Office said Israel’s ongoing military offensive has killed over 64,700 Palestinians since October 2023.
The campaign has devastated the enclave and pushed it into famine conditions.
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