Israeli Military Admits It Has 'No Intention' to Allow Evicted Northern Gaza Residents to Return Home

After more than a month of blocking food and aid amid nonstop bombing, the Israel Defense Forces delivered another devastating mandate, declaring it will not allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, despite it being a Palestinian territory.

The IDF Brig Gen Itzik Cohen told Israeli reporters during a media briefing on Tuesday that forces are nearing "the complete evacuation" of northern Gaza and "there is no intention of allowing the residents of the northern Gaza Strip to return to their homes," according to reporting by The Guardian.

Cohen said the order is necessary because Hamas has regrouped in the area, forcing the Israeli military to enter some areas twice.

He added Israeli forces will continue blocking humanitarian aid from entering the north, since there are "no more civilians left," but they will allow it to enter "regularly" in the south. Anyone who remains in northern Gaza will be treated as a "combatant," per The Guardian.

Last month, 400,000 were unable or unwilling to evacuate northern Gaza, according to the UN. However, it is unclear how many remain today as Israel has continued nonstop carpet bombing, including hospitals and schools, since the beginning of October.

Residents in northern Gaza stated the latest operation has created the worst conditions to date. International humanitarian law experts have declared Israel is committing war crimes by forcing Palestinians to leave their territory and weaponizing food, The Guardian added.

Social media slammed Israel for devastating the area and "ethnically cleaning" what was once the largest city in the State of Palestine.

X user @GyllKing posted she was looking forward to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivering "urgent statements" regarding Gaza.

"Heinous and cruel," another user called the demand.

At least 45,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 100,000 have been injured since the Israel-Palestine conflict escalated on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health.