Israel Warns Gaza City Residents: Evacuate or Be Labeled Terrorists as Trump Peace Plan Awaits Hamas Response

Israel delivered a stern ultimatum on Wednesday for civilians to evacuate Gaza City, warning that anyone remaining would be labeled as terrorists.

Israel's defense minister Israel Katz announced that the military has strengthened its encirclement of Gaza City, with witnesses reporting intense bombardment in the area.

"This is the last opportunity for Gaza residents who wish to do so to move south and leave Hamas operatives isolated in Gaza City," Katz stated on X, adding that those who stayed behind would "be considered terrorists and terrorist supporters".

Katz confirmed that Israeli forces had captured the Netzarim corridor connecting central Gaza to the western coast, effectively severing northern Gaza from the south.

He indicated that anyone attempting to travel from Gaza City southward would need to pass through Israeli military checkpoints.

This announcement followed the military's earlier statement that it was closing the final remaining route allowing movement from southern Gaza to the north.

In Gaza City, 60-year-old Rabah al-Halabi, seeking shelter in a tent at Al-Shifa Hospital, described continuous explosions.

"I will not leave because the situation in Gaza City is no different from the situation in the southern Gaza Strip," he told AFP by telephone.

"All areas are dangerous, the bombing is everywhere, and displacement is terrifying and humiliating," he continued.

"We are waiting for death, or perhaps relief from God and for the truce to come."

Hamas responded that Katz's statements were "a prelude to the escalation of war crimes being committed by his army".

The International Committee of the Red Cross announced it had temporarily suspended operations in Gaza City due to intensified military activities.

This followed Doctors Without Borders' earlier decision to halt work in the city, though some UN agencies and aid organizations continue to operate there.

Meanwhile, Hamas was evaluating a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump and endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The proposal outlines a ceasefire, hostage release within 72 hours, Hamas disarmament, and gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

A Palestinian source close to Hamas leadership told AFP that "no final decision" had been made and that "the movement will likely need two to three days".

"Hamas wants to amend some of the items such as the disarmament clause and the expulsion of Hamas," the source explained.

They added that Hamas sought "international guarantees" for complete Israeli withdrawal and assurances that Israel would respect the ceasefire.

Gaza's civil defence agency, operating under Hamas authority, reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 46 people across Gaza on Wednesday, including 36 in Gaza City.

Regarding an attack on a school-turned-shelter that reportedly killed eight people, the Israeli military stated it had "struck a Hamas terrorist" and that "steps were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians as much as possible".

Media restrictions in Gaza and access difficulties mean AFP cannot independently verify casualty figures from either side.

Fadel al-Jadba, 26, affirmed his decision to remain in Gaza City.

"We want a ceasefire at any cost because we are frustrated, exhausted, and find no one in the world standing with us," he told AFP.

Late Wednesday, the Israeli military reported that five projectiles were launched from Gaza toward Israel, with four intercepted and one landing "in an open area".

Trump told reporters on Tuesday that Hamas had "about three or four days" to accept his 20-point Gaza plan, later warning the Islamist movement would "pay in hell" if it declined.

A source familiar with negotiations in Doha revealed that "two opinions exist within Hamas".

"The first supports unconditional approval, as the priority is a ceasefire under Trump's guarantees, with mediators ensuring Israel implements the plan," the source told AFP.

"The second has serious reservations regarding key clauses, rejecting disarmament and the expulsion of any Palestinian from Gaza. They favour conditional approval with clarifications reflecting Hamas's and the resistance factions' demands."

Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in 1,219 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 66,148 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures from the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

These statistics do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicate that over half of those killed are women and children.