Israel to Gazans: Move South or Risk Being Seen as 'Terrorist' Partner

Palestinians dig through the rubble of a building after Israeli strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on October 22, 2023. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
Palestinians dig through the rubble of a building after Israeli strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on October 22, 2023. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
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Israel to Gazans: Move South or Risk Being Seen as 'Terrorist' Partner

Palestinians dig through the rubble of a building after Israeli strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on October 22, 2023. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
Palestinians dig through the rubble of a building after Israeli strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on October 22, 2023. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)

Palestinians said they had received renewed warnings from Israel's military to move from north Gaza to the south of the strip, with the added warning that they could be identified as sympathizers with a "terrorist organization" if they stayed put.

The message was delivered in leaflets marked with the Israel Defense Forces name and logo from Saturday and sent to people via mobile phone audio messages across the Gaza Strip, a narrow territory that is just 45 km (28 miles) long.

"Urgent warning, to residents of Gaza. Your presence north of Wadi Gaza puts your life in danger. Whoever chooses not to leave north Gaza to the south of Wadi Gaza might be identified as an accomplice in a terrorist organization," the leaflet said.

Israel has pounded Gaza with airstrikes since the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israeli soil on Oct. 7.

Israel has previously warned Palestinians to move south, although Palestinians said they had not previously been told they could be considered "terrorist" sympathizers if they did not. They also say making the journey south remains highly risky amid airstrikes and say areas of the south have also been hit.

Israel has amassed tanks and troops near the fenced border around Gaza for a planned ground invasion aiming to annihilate Hamas, after several inconclusive wars dating to its seizure of power there in 2007.

"We are going to go into the Gaza Strip... to destroy Hamas operatives and Hamas infrastructure," Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi told troops in a video distributed by the Israeli military on Saturday. "We will have in our mind the memories of the images and those who fell on Saturday two weeks ago."



Yemen Cabinet Holds Urgent Meeting to Discuss Economic Rescue Plan

Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)
Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)
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Yemen Cabinet Holds Urgent Meeting to Discuss Economic Rescue Plan

Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)
Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)

The Yemeni government met in the interim capital, Aden, on Thursday, with Prime Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak presiding to review an economic rescue plan focused on government reforms, ending the Houthi coup, and restoring state control.
Yemen’s economy faces a deep crisis, with falling revenues and a halt in oil exports after Houthi attacks on export ports and stalled peace efforts amid increased Houthi activity regionally and at sea.
In Thursday’s meeting, Yemen’s Cabinet discussed urgent economic issues, including currency instability and electricity shortages, and reviewed a draft economic rescue plan aligned with government reforms.
The government aims to finalize the plan, which focuses on restoring state control, ending the Houthi coup, achieving peace, fighting corruption, and improving transparency. The plan also seeks to boost the economy and make better use of foreign aid.
A ministerial committee, led by the finance minister and including other key officials, was formed to refine the plan. The committee will review suggestions and present a revised version in two weeks for further discussion.
State media reported that the Cabinet instructed the ministerial committee to align the rescue plan with the government's reform agenda and economic recovery strategy. The committee will set priorities, review progress, and develop a unified economic document to guide urgent government actions.
Yemen’s Cabinet emphasized the need to realistically assess challenges and tackle them through joint efforts with the Presidential Leadership Council.
The discussion focused on ensuring the rescue plan addresses the economic crisis’s root causes—worsened by Houthi attacks on oil facilities and shipping routes—and on defining the support needed from international donors.
The meeting also reviewed implemented and ongoing policies, noting obstacles and suggesting solutions to overcome them.
Moreover, Yemen’s Cabinet reviewed reports on fuel shortages affecting Aden’s power stations and discussed urgent steps to stabilize electricity and ensure water supplies.
State media said officials stressed the need for emergency fuel and additional supplies to keep services stable.