Israeli army orders residents in N. Gaza to evacuate: Hamas' media office

GAZA -- The Israeli army has sent tanks to the northern Gazan city of Beit Hanoun and ordered residents to evacuate, the Hamas-run government media office said Tuesday.

The office said in a statement that Israeli bulldozers and tanks advanced toward shelter centers in the city and the Israeli army surrounded a school housing hundreds of displaced people.

The Israeli army set up a field investigation center behind the school and demanded everyone inside to leave under threat of weapons, the statement said, adding all families in Beit Hanoun were forced to evacuate, and several young men were arrested.

"The new crime was committed under the cover of intense aerial and artillery bombardment and heavy gunfire," the statement said, adding that military vehicles were still present east of Jabalia and Beit Hanoun.

The statement urged the international community to hold the Israeli army accountable for displacing residents from their homes, despite their insistence on remaining there amidst inhumane conditions.

So far, Israel has not issued a response to the statement.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.