In its announcement of the plan to conquer Gaza City, Israel’s prime minister’s office said it will provide “humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones”, but did not provide further information of what that might entail.
Like previous forced displacements throughout the war, the expulsion of Palestinians will likely see chaotic and dangerous scenes of families travelling by foot, by cart or by overloaded vehicles.
It has been reported that after the deadline of 7 October 2025, Israel’s military will lay siege to Gaza City and escalate its attacks. Hamas has pledged to fiercely resist Israel’s attempt to conquer the city.
We may also see similar scenes to what the military has done in Rafah, in Gaza’s south, and in northern towns, which were forcibly evacuated before being almost totally levelled in a systematic method.
If there are Hamas fighters holding Israeli hostages in Gaza City, then this period would prove the most deadly.
It is understood that Hamas has given orders to captors to kill hostages should Israeli military troops approach close to hiding locations.
An estimated 20 Israeli hostages remain alive in Gaza, some of whom are believed to be held around Gaza City.
Israel began its military offensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Since then, more than 61,300 people have been killed in Gaza as a result of Israeli military operations.