The Hamas terrorist organization is reportedly attempting to create an “Israeli legitimacy trap” in Gaza City, where harm to Palestinian Arab civilians can be exploited to increase international pressure on Israel to stop the war, according to Kan News.
The report states that this is why Hamas seeks to keep as many Gaza residents as possible in the northern part of the Strip, preventing their evacuation south. To achieve this, the organization is using threats, spreading media content urging residents to stay in their homes, and even resorting to violent acts against those trying to leave—including threats of execution.
Currently, estimates indicate that about one million Gazans remain in northern Gaza, with only around 80,000, less than 10%, successfully evacuating south so far.
Yesterday, the IDF published a conversation between an officer from the Coordination and Liaison Administration in Gaza and a resident from northern Gaza, revealing Hamas efforts to block the movement of the population southward.
The resident said: “We want to go south, but Hamas is standing in the way. They tell people: ‘Go back home, there is no evacuation, go back, go back,’ and people disperse.”
He added: “People are scared for their lives; some move through side streets and look for alternative routes. Hamas stands on the beach near Al-Nablsi and other locations, preventing the population from moving along the main roads.”
A security official commented: “Hamas is doing everything to block the movement of the population south in order to use residents as human shields and for propaganda purposes. In practice, tens of thousands of residents have managed to bypass Hamas checkpoints and evacuate from Gaza City even before the IDF officially began operations. Security estimates are that the population will continue to evacuate the city as military activity in the area expands.”
He added: “Hamas exploits the desire of various international actors to end the war, and therefore will continue spreading false campaigns so that the world pressures Israel to halt the southward movement of the population.”