Hamas attempts to slow Gaza evacuation, Israeli military says
A Gaza resident said Hamas fighters were attempting to slow the evacuation of northern Gaza, using measures that included stealing car keys, Israel's military said.
"They are preventing people from leaving," the Gaza resident told an Israeli military officer in a phone call, the audio of which was somewhat garbled and which was recorded, translated and released by the Israeli Defense Forces. The audio appeared to be a clip of a longer conversation.
![PHOTO: Palestinians fleeing from northern Gaza to the south after the Israeli army issued an unprecedented evacuation warning ahead of a possible Israeli ground invasion, on Oct. 13, 2023.](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/7b8719e6-31d1-4ba6-941b-78d5b4beff81/evacuation-g_hpEmbed_20231015-065419_3x2.jpg)
The man, whom IDF identified only as a resident of Jabalya, in northern Gaza, said Hamas has been "taking the ID card and the car keys" of some locals. Israel has ordered some 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate immediately ahead of an expected ground invasion.
"You mean the movement? Hamas?" a person identified as an IDF officer said in the recording. "Who is stopping you? Hamas?"
"Yes, yes," the Gaza resident replied.