Jerusalem: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Thursday told Palestinians living near the Gaza Strip border to evacuate their homes, media reports said.
More than 100,000 Palestinians residing in areas adjacent to the border received notification from the IDF in a recorded message over the phone that they must evacuate their houses as quickly as possible, Xinhua reported citing the Ynet news website as saying.
Analysts say this move could be read as a possible preparation for an IDF ground operation in the strip or as part of Israel’s psychological warfare on Hamas.
Those areas include Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip and Abasan al-Kabera and Abasan al-Saghira in the southern part of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip enclave, according to the walla! news website.
The Israeli security cabinet convened at the military Tel Aviv’s headquarters Thursday evening to discuss Israel’s future moves, an Israeli official said.
Israel’s security cabinet ordered to recruit 40,000 reserve soldiers Tuesday amid the country’s Operation Protective Edge.
If a ground operation takes place, it would be for the first time since ‘Israel’s Operation Cast Lead’ in 2009.
Israel declared Operation Protective Edge Tuesday with massive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip following 300 rockets launched towards southern Israel in the previous weeks.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Israeli Air Force struck at about 800 targets in the Gaza Strip which killed 80 Palestinians, according to Palestinian medical sources.
More than 500 people were injured in the attacks.