Jerusalem, 3 September, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel denounced Hamas for preventing Palestinians in Gaza City from fleeing to southern areas of the Gaza Strip and released an audio recording on Wednesday of a phone conversation between a resident and an Israeli liaison officer.
“We want to go south but Hamas are waiting for us on the way. They tell people: go back home, there is no evacuation, go back, go back – and the people are scattering,” the man told the officer.
“Honestly, they are afraid. Some people are going through side streets, you know, looking for alternative routes,” he added.
LISTEN: A conversation between a Gaza City resident and a COGAT officer exposes Hamas’ Attempts to prevent residents from moving south for their protection, in order to use them as human shields:
“We want to go south but Hamas are waiting for us on the way. They tell people:… pic.twitter.com/ijoLAqecHu
— COGAT (@cogatonline) September 3, 2025
The conversation was posted by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a unit in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that coordinates civilian issues in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
“The testimony exposes Hamas’ attempts to block the population of Gaza City from moving southward, in order to use the residents as human shields,” COGAT said.
On Tuesday, Israel began mobilizing thousands of reservists.
“Hamas will have no place to hide from us,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir told arriving reservists at the Nachshonim Base in central Israel.
Not all the reservists will be sent into Gaza; many will replace standing troops on other fronts.
Approximately 1,200 people were killed and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 48 remaining hostages, about 20 are believed to be alive.
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