Hamas is blocking the evacuation of civilians in the Gaza Strip. "They want to use them as human shields"

Hamas is hindering the evacuation of civilians from the northern part of the Gaza Strip by placing blockades on evacuation routes. They want to use them as human shields - declared the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday, October 14th.

The Israel Defense Forces ordered all civilians living in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, totaling around 1.1 million people, to evacuate in anticipation of an expected land operation by the Israeli military.

The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday (October 14) reported, that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are moving south in the zone, but many of them are stuck in traffic caused by roadblocks, staged by Hamas.

Hamas is making it difficult for the residents of the Gaza Strip to move along the main roads and is preventing vehicle movement on these roads - it was written in an IDF statement.

The Israeli military believes, that terrorists are making "active efforts" to prevent the evacuation. - Hamas wants to show the world that it has victims and the dead - said IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari at a press conference.

We continue to call on the residents of Gaza City to head south (...). Hamas wants you as human shields - he added.

He also emphasized, that the Israeli military "will attack broadly in the city of Gaza in the near future".

On Friday (October 13), the IDF published the first instructions for the residents of the northern part of the Gaza Strip, ordering them to evacuate to the southern zone due to planned military operations.

Leaflets were also dropped over the Gaza Strip containing instructions and a map was published showing which roads can be safely evacuated.