Israel’s military continued to urge residents to move from northern Gaza to the south as it pledged to counter Hamas with “an even greater force.” The Israel Defense Forces said it would not carry out any military operations along the evacuation route from 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) to 1 p.m. Sunday.
The evacuation orders have been criticized by many humanitarian agencies, however. The United Nations’ relief agency in the area (UNRWA) warned that fresh water is running out in Gaza, putting 2 million people at risk.
Separately, the U.S. Embassy in Israel said it would help Americans and their immediate family members to depart the northern Israeli port city of Haifa via sea to Cyprus on Monday. “Boarding will proceed in order of arrival and is on a space limited basis,” the embassy said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Sunday before departing Riyadh. The top U.S. diplomat is expected to land in Egypt later in the day and work on a deal to grant safe passage of Americans currently in Gaza through the Rafah gate — the only crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
Gaza — a narrow strip of land sandwiched between Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea — has been pounded by Israeli forces in response to Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel last weekend. The death toll continues to tick higher, with at least 1,300 killed in Israel and 2,300 in Gaza.
