GAZA — The Israeli army on Tuesday ordered the immediate evacuation of Beit Hanoun, a city in the northern Gaza Strip, following the interception of a rocket launched from the area toward the Israeli town of Sderot.

The move, announced by army spokesman Avichay Adraee, came shortly after air raid sirens were activated in Sderot and surrounding settlements.

The order was widely condemned by Palestinian officials and humanitarian groups as another act of collective punishment, exacerbating the suffering of civilians in a densely populated region already devastated by months of conflict.

The Israeli army has used similar evacuation tactics repeatedly during its ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which resumed in full force on March 18 with a surprise aerial bombardment.

Since then, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 2,000 injured, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement reached in January between Israel and Hamas.

In a parallel move, Israeli forces also issued evacuation notices Monday to residents in parts of Rafah in southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge.

According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 50,300 Palestinians — the majority of them women and children — have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive in October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Separately, Israel is facing a genocide case brought before the International Court of Justice.

The latest round of escalation and evacuation orders has deepened fears of a wider humanitarian catastrophe, with aid agencies warning of worsening conditions amid the continued displacement of civilians and restricted access to essential supplies. — Agencies