The Israeli military has issued evacuation orders for large swathes of northern Gaza, ordering residents to flee to the already overcrowded “humanitarian zone” in al-Mawasi, Al Jazeera reports.

The Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee told people in northern Gaza that Hamas had established “terrorist infrastructure in your region, exploiting the population, shelters, and health facilities as a human shield”.

He said the Israeli military will “continue to operate forcefully against terrorist organisations”, without offering information about specific operations planned.

Adraee ordered people to use the “open humanitarian transportation and evacuation routes towards the humanitarian area in al-Mawasi, which are Rashid Street (the sea) and Salah El-Din Street”.