• By Mayukh Debnath
  • Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:48 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Israel-Hamas War: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Thursday shared an audio clip which it claimed captured a telephonic conversation between an Israeli intelligence officer and a civilian residing in the Gaza Strip. The IDF said the audio recording substantiated Israel's claims about militant Hamas, which controls Gaza, preventing civilians from evacuating the northern part of the Palestinian exclave.

The IDF had urged residents of northern Gaza to relocate southwards ahead of its planned ground assault on the Palestinian territory. "LISTEN to an IDF officer in Unit 504 encourage a resident of Gaza to evacuate southward for their safety. Hamas continues to use the civilians of Gaza as human shields, not allowing them to evacuate," the message posted by IDF along with the audio recording read.

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The conversation opens with the IDF intelligence officer exchanging pleasantries with the Gazan on the other end of the line named Muhammad. "In order to ensure your personal safety, I am asking you to urgently go towrads Khan Yunis," the Israeli officer asks Muhammad, as per the transcript of the conversation provided by IDF.

(Gaza Strip under Israeli bombardment after Hamas unleashed an onslaught in Israel last week. Pic Credits: Reuters)

Responding to the appeal by the IDF intelligence officer, Muhammad says that all the roads leading to southern Gaza "are blocked". The IDF personnel then enquires if the road closure has been placed by Hamas, to which the Palestinian answers in the affirmative. Mohammad informs the Israeli officer that Hamas fighters were enforcing the road blockade on the Salah al-Din route. 

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After the IDF intelligence officer asks, "How did they (Hamas) block the road", Muhammad replies, "In a car...people go their and they are simply sent back to their homes." "They are shooting at people," the Gazan says when the IDF officer asks how Hamas was preventing civilians from leaving northern Gaza.