Palestinians take a look at the destruction after Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip in Khan Younis, Nov. 4, 2023.

Fatima Shbair/AP

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Fatima Shbair/AP

Palestinians take a look at the destruction after Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip in Khan Younis, Nov. 4, 2023.

Fatima Shbair/AP

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s navy mentioned Hamas attacked a protected passageway from northern Gaza throughout a three-hour evacuation window the Israel Defense Forces had set on Saturday.

“The Hamas terrorist organization exploited the humanitarian window that the IDF provided to residents of the Gaza Strip to move southwards, and the terrorists fired mortars and anti-tank missiles at IDF troops who arrived and operated to open the route,” the Israel Defense Forces mentioned in an announcement.

Earlier Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces introduced there can be a short three-hour window (beginning 1 p.m. native time till 4 p.m.) for individuals trapped in northern Gaza to journey on the street to southern Gaza safely.

The Israeli navy mentioned it will “avoid hitting” a most important street heading south, however emphasised that this was under no circumstances a stop hearth.

Hundreds of hundreds of individuals nonetheless caught in northern Gaza had three hours to flee south. But it seems few individuals, if any, had been in a position to go away.

By the tip of this window, NPR had not encountered anybody ready to make use of this so-called protected passage. Several drivers there shared that it was not possible for anybody to make it by way of on the broken road.

One driver informed NPR that he and his brother had been heading south and located that the roads weren’t satisfactory, that “there are holes in the ground, and we saw body parts strewn all over Salah al-Din,” the primary freeway within the Gaza Strip.

He mentioned, “We were afraid to keep going because we heard shooting beyond the valley so we came back.” This individual requested NPR to not use their title out of concern for his or her security.

The United Nations estimates that there could possibly be as many 300,000 internally displaced individuals nonetheless caught in northern Gaza, together with Gaza City — an space Israeli forces have surrounded as a part of their floor operation.

It’s been a few week since Israeli troops pushed into Gaza through a ground offensive and remained within the Strip. This navy effort has largely been targeted within the north and has successfully lower the strip in half, stopping assist from getting in or civilians from getting out.

The Palestinian loss of life toll from Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas assault is now at 9,488 individuals in Gaza — almost 70% of them being ladies and youngsters, in keeping with the Ministry of Health.

If any civilians had been in a position to flee to the south of Gaza in the course of the window, they may possible transfer no additional than that after they arrived.

Officials in Gaza additionally closed the one accessible border crossing from Gaza into Egypt on Saturday. They mentioned international passport holders is not going to be allowed to go away Gaza by way of the Rafah border crossing into Egypt until sufferers from the hospitals in Gaza City and northern Gaza are permitted to get to the crossing.

The crossing has been opened the past three days for Palestinians with international nationalities, or Palestinians with connections to international international locations and international employers.

The listing of individuals accepted to go away Gaza at present — in what would have been the fourth day for the border to be open — included extra Americans.

NPR’s Anas Baba contributed reporting from Gaza. Jaclyn Diaz, Lauren Migaki and Elissa Nadworny reported from Tel Aviv.