Residents of the Al-Rouya building in Gaza City were seen evacuating on Saturday after the Israeli military issued a warning to leave ahead of a planned strike.
Footage shows families with children carrying what belongings they could, as well as scenes of temporary displacement, with tents set up near the apartment tower. ~ https://www.viory.video/en/videos/a3425_06092025/they-told-us-this-area-was-safe-now-we-re-being-forced-out-gaza-al-rouya-building-residents-flee-under-israeli-evacuation-orders
“There is no safe place left. They told us this area was safe, now we’re being forced out. They said go west, but there is no safety. Tell me now: where do I go with my children? This is the home where we spent 30 years saving, building, and renovating to live with our children. There are 12 of us in my family. Where can we go?” a resident of the tower stated.
She remarked that her home represented life and the future of her children, asking, “Where will they grow up? Where will they go?”
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had earlier issued a warning on Telegram directed at residents of the Al-Rouya building and the surrounding tents near the intersection of Beirut Roundabout and Arab League Street.
“The IDF will shortly strike the building due to the presence of Hamas terrorist infrastructure inside or near it. For your own safety, you must evacuate the building immediately and head south toward the humanitarian zone in Mawasi, Khan Younis,” the statement read.
This evacuation order follows similar directives issued by the Israeli army for multiple areas across the Strip. Earlier in the day, the military had dropped leaflets over Gaza City urging residents to leave and head toward Mawasi, which it has designated a ‘humanitarian zone’.
The Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7, 2023, following Hamas attacks that killed 1,139 people and captured over 200 hostages.
In response, Israel launched extensive military operations in the Gaza Strip, which have resulted in the deaths of 64,368 Palestinians and injuries to 162,367 others, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health at the time of publication.