Recent satellite images taken over and around Gaza City point to preparations for the expanded military operation there and show signs that internally displaced people are already fleeing.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday that the force had begun “preliminary operations and the first stages of the attack on Gaza City,” adding that the IDF is in control of the city’s outskirts.
The spokesperson said that the operation, which is dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots II,” is necessary to dislodge Hamas from Gaza City. The IDF announced on Wednesday the call-up of up to 60,000 reservists in connection with its expanded Gaza operation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the IDF’s aim is to defeat Hamas and secure the release of the remaining hostages held by the group.
In a new statement on Thursday, the IDF said it had warned medical officials and aid organizations operating in northern Gaza, including Gaza City, to prepare to evacuate the population there to the south.
It comes nearly two weeks after Israel’s security cabinet approved plans offered up by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupy Gaza City amid growing international scrutiny over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
International aid organizations have already recorded the movement of civilians out of Gaza City. According to a report issued on Wednesday by the Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster (CCCM), recent Israeli military operations in Gaza City have prompted many there to flee.
An estimate from the CCCM pointed to 16,831 “displacement movements” between Aug. 12 and Aug. 20, most of them from the east of Gaza City.
The Site Management Cluster is a joint humanitarian body that coordinates assistance for displaced people.
In a separate statement on Wednesday, U.N. human rights officials condemned the IDF’s escalation in Gaza City. The officials said in the report that at least 87 Palestinians had been reported killed in Gaza City since Aug. 8, including 25 children, a figure the officials said was likely an undercount due to the difficult circumstances on the ground.
Growing military presence
A Planet Labs satellite photo taken on Aug. 16 shows a new military presence on the eastern edge of Gaza City, two experts told ABC News.
Vanderbilt University professor Andres Gannon, a military technology expert, said the photo shows a range of vehicles including tanks and armored personnel carriers, as well as lines of plowed earth for concealment or protection.
Tony Reeves, founder of the private intelligence firm MAIAR, said he counted over 30 armored vehicles in the image along with equipment like bulldozers, as well as earthworks which he said could be used for protection.
Reeves also identified a building surrounded by armored vehicles which he identified as a likely headquarters, as well as vehicles possibly used for communications with their own fortifications.
“You protect important things when spooling up for battle,” Reeves said.
In a satellite image taken over the same area on Aug. 9, the military vehicles and earthworks are not visible.
Tent camps dismantled
Another Planet Labs image taken on Aug. 9 shows a large block and two smaller clusters of tents some 2,300 feet from the likely military position.
In an image from Aug. 17, the tents appear to have been mostly dismantled and many of the buildings surrounding them flattened.
In an image taken on Aug. 9, another large cluster of tents is visible about 1 mile from the likely military site.
On Aug. 17, many of the tents were no longer visible.
Some buildings apparently demolished
In a satellite photo taken on Aug. 8, a large number of demolished buildings are seen surrounding some that are still standing, including one large U-shaped facility identified in data from UNICEF as the Dar Al-Arqam Secondary Boys Private School.
Asked about the apparent demolition of buildings in Gaza, the IDF told ABC News, “There is no IDF doctrine that aims causing maximal damage to civilian infrastructure regardless of military necessity. IDF actions are based on military necessity and with accordance to international law.”
In an Aug. 16 image, many of the buildings visible in the above image, including the boys’ school, are no longer standing.
The IDF did not immediately return a request for comment on the images pointing to the emptying of some tent camps.
In response to a request for comment on internal displacement in Gaza, the IDF directed ABC News to a map issued on July 27 advising Gaza to leave areas including the northern Gaza Strip and the east of Gaza City for their own safety.
ABC News’ Dorit Long contributed to this report.
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