Prior to an anticipated ground invasion into the packed Palestinian territory, Hamas on Friday refused an Israeli request for 1.1 million people of northern Gaza to leave.
“Our Palestinian people reject the threat of the occupation (Israeli) leaders and its call for them to leave their homes and flee from them to the south or Egypt,” the Islamist militant group said in a statement.
“We are steadfast on our land and in our homes and our cities. There will be no displacement,” it said.
The United Nations said an order by Israel to flee within 24 hours risked a “calamitous situation”.
Since Saturday, more least 1,530 people have died in Israeli airstrikes on the coastal enclave in reprisal for bombings by Hamas militants that left about 1,200 people dead in Israel.
The sole exit from Gaza that is not under Israeli control is through Egypt’s Rafah crossing, which has been attacked several times this week.
In an address on Thursday, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged Palestinians to “remain on their land” but reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to ensuring the delivery of aid to Gaza.
