The Palestinian group "Hamas" said that Israel's plan to relocate civilians from combat zones to the southern Gaza Strip constitutes "a new wave of genocide and displacement" of hundreds of thousands of people, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
The Israeli army said yesterday that it was starting to distribute tents and other equipment to people in the Gaza City area. The measures were taken in connection with the implementation of the Israeli government's plan for a new offensive in the largest city in the Palestinian territory.
"Hamas" described the provision of tents as a "obvious deception".
Israel announced days ago that it plans to take control of Gaza City, as a new escalation in the 22-month-long war with "Hamas", the Associated Press reported.
The decision, made at a meeting of senior Israeli officials, was rejected by the Palestinians, and the international community called for an end to the war. In addition, the fate of hostages still being held by "Hamas" in Gaza has also become a cause for concern in Israel, the AP notes.
It is not clear how many people live in the city, which was the largest in Gaza before the war. Hundreds of thousands left the city under evacuation orders in the first weeks of the conflict, but many returned during the ceasefire earlier this year.