Palestinians flee northern Gaza after Israel warning as ground attack looming

Jerusalem: Palestinians scrambled to flee northern Gaza after Israel's military urged about 1 million people to leave for the territory's south ahead of  an expected ground invasion following the surprise attack a week ago by the ruling Hamas militant group — despite warnings from the U.N. that evacuating nearly half of Gaza's population would be calamitous.

Families in cars, trucks and donkey carts packed with their possessions crowded a main road southward from Gaza City as Israeli airstrikes  hammered the territory Friday.   Hamas’ media office said warplanes struck cars fleeing south, killing more than 70 people.

The Israeli military said its troops conducted temporary raids into Gaza to battle militants and hunted for traces of some  150 people abducted  in Hamas’s assault on Israel nearly a week ago.

In urging the evacuation, Israel’s military said it planned to target underground Hamas hideouts around Gaza City. But Palestinians and some Egyptian officials fear that Israel ultimately hopes to push Gaza’s people out through the southern border with



Egypt.

The U.N. called on Israel to reverse the unprecedented directive. But Israel’s military said it planned to target underground Hamas hideouts around Gaza City.

Hamas told people to ignore the evacuation order. Families in Gaza faced what they saw as a no-win decision to leave or stay, with no safe ground anywhere. Israeli strikes have leveled large swaths of neighborhoods, and Gaza has been sealed off from food, water and medical supplies — all under a virtual total power blackout.

"Forget about food, forget about electricity, forget about fuel. The only concern now is just if you’ll make it, if you’re going to live," said Nebal Farsakh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent in Gaza City, as she broke into heaving sobs.

In the week-old war,  the Gaza Health Ministry said Friday that roughly 1,900 people have been killed in the territory. The Hamas assault last Saturday killed more than 1,300 Israelis, most of whom were civilians, and roughly 1,500 Hamas militants were killed during the fighting, the Israeli government said.