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Over 600,000 Gaza City residents flee following Israeli evacuation order — news agency

Some 400,000 Palestinians remain in the city

CAIRO, September 23. /TASS/. Some 600,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee Gaza City, the administrative center of the Palestinian enclave, on Israeli orders, Maan news agency reported.

According to the news agency, "more than 600,000 Gazans have fled the city on orders from Israel." Over the past night alone, the news agency continued, at least 15,000 people escaped. However, some 400,000 Palestinians remain in the city, Maan said.

On Tuesday morning, the Israeli military blockaded Gaza City, cutting it completely off from the outside world.

On September 8, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would soon launch a "powerful operation" in Gaza City, due to which local residents should leave it immediately. Since the operation began on September 16, Israel’s air force has attacked more than 850 targets in the city, laying the groundwork for the ground incursion which began on September 16.