Over 800,000 Palestinians flee Gaza City as Hamas grip weakens

Hamas’s efforts to prevent civilians from evacuating northern Gaza are failing, as thousands continue to head south daily amid Israeli military maneuvers.

More than 800,000 Palestinians have leftGaza City, as the IDF prepares to expand operations in the area, a security source said on Sunday.

According to Southern Command estimates, between 30,000 and 50,000 people have departed the city daily over the past week, and this number is expected to increase.

Defense officials said between 250,000 and 350,000 Palestinians are still inside Gaza City.

Officials praised the Southern Command’s evacuation plan, which anticipates the number of evacuees could soon reach one million. Unless there is a last-minute change, the next phases of the maneuver into the city center have already been approved.

Hamas’s attempts to keep civilians innorthern Gaza and Gaza City have failed, despite the group using both persuasion and physical deterrence, including roadblocks and violence.

“The public is moving to the south of the Strip,” a security source said.

Hamas, the source added, is spreading what it calls “false narratives” about the humanitarian situation in the south.

“Hamas is trying to generate all kinds of false narratives about the collapse of the health system, starvation, and sanitation. Just today, a humanitarian assessment was completed. An average of 350 trucks enter daily. There is enough food, enough tents – more than 20,000 tents have been brought in by international organizations so far. The health system in the south of the Strip is functioning; it is not collapsing as they are trying to portray,” the source said.

While few Palestinians have openly opposed Hamas, the source noted that some civilians continue to support the group, while others blame Israel, which they see as primarily responsible for the situation.

“Hamas continues to use fear tactics, executions, beatings in the streets, and maintains an atmosphere of terror and fear among the public,” the source said.

The group has reportedly upgraded its network of informants across the Gaza Strip, making it more difficult for civilians to report criticism or suspicious activity to internal security forces.

The Abu-Amra clan remains aligned with Hamas

In recent weeks, Hamas has clashed with several powerful clans in southern Gaza. According to the source, the group killed two of three clan leaders involved in aid distribution. Only the Abu-Amra clan is still aligned with Hamas in the area.

Despite mounting pressure, Hamas continues to operate a limited civil framework. It pays salaries to thousands of officials and maintains basic services in areas it controls, including sewage repair, road clearing, and rescue operations.

However, the source said that when the IDF operates at full strength in Gaza City, Hamas forces tend to withdraw and shift to guerrilla tactics.