On Saturday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari issued what he labeled an “urgent military advisory” video message on X, warning Gazans that the military is set to “neutralize” Hamas with “precision and intensity.”
“For your immediate safety we urge all residents of Northern Gaza and Gaza City to temporarily relocate south. This is a temporary measure. Moving back to Northern Gaza will be possible once the intense hostilities end,” he said.
Since the message, many took to X to raise questions and concerns related to the communications blackout Gaza residents are facing and how they’re expected to hear the urgency to relocate.
Mehdi Hasan, host of The Mehdi Hasan Show on MSNBC, asked, “How are Palestinians in Gaza, who have had their electricity and internet communications cut off by the Israeli military, supposed to hear/receive this ‘urgent’ message from the Israeli military?”
Lindsey Hilsum, international editor at British broadcaster Channel 4 News, questioned the message by posting to X, “Hard to see how this ‘urgent message’ will get to the citizens of Gaza as the Israelis cut internet and mobile phone.”
Ayman Mohyeldin, host of AYMAN on MSNBC, noted the IDF’s use of English to issue their message rather than using Arabic.
“The spokesman for the Israeli military is speaking in English, rather than in Arabic, to the residents of Gaza in order to deliver to them an urgent message on social media, a day after the Israeli military cut off all telephone and internet communications to the people of Gaza,” he wrote on X>.