Israel calls on residents of the border areas in Gaza to flee

The army particularly warned the residents of some districts of Chan Junis in the south and Beit Hanun in the north of the coastal strip, which lie close to the border with Israel, that it had begun to take action against the Islamist organization Hamas there.

"These areas are dangerous combat zones," it said in an appeal published in Arabic. People should therefore move to the west of the city of Gaza and to the west of the city of Chan Junis for their own safety.

The newspaper "Times of Israel" speculated that this could indicate the army's intention to expand its offensive.

As part of the ceasefire agreement that came into force on January 19, many displaced people in the Gaza Strip had only recently returned to their homes.