Israel orders evacuation of 1.1M people in Northern Gaza

Israel has ordered the evacuation of 1.1 million people in Northern Gaza, a move the United Nations says could signal an impending ground offensive.

They didn’t specify a hard deadline, but the UN said Thursday that citizens had 24 hours to move deeper south within the narrow coastal Strip, which is only 40 kilometres long.

Hamas on the other hand is calling on people to stay in their homes and is dismissing the evacuation orders.

Israel continued it’s devastating bombardment of the region overnight in an effort to root out militants that may be hiding in tunnels under Gaza City

READ MORE: Escalating violence draws concerns of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Israeli forces have blocked deliveries of food, water, fuel and electricity into Gaza, which is home to 2.3-million Palestinians.

The last power plant in Gaza reportedly ran out of diesel on Thursday, and doctors in the region say they are completely overwhelmed.

At least 2,800 people have died on both sides as the war between Hamas and Israel rages on into its seventh day.

At this time, Global Affairs Canada says they have been made aware of the deaths of three Canadians and says that four more have been reported as missing.

READ MORE: Canada giving $10M in humanitarian aid for Israel, Gaza

Canada is actively working on assisted departures of Canadians, as two flights carried Canadian citizens out of Israel Thursday.

Global Affairs is additionally reporting that there are more than 5,685 Canadians registered in Israel and 465 registered in the West Bank and Gaza.

Officials say they are moving to help those still in Israel make their way back to Canada with more flights scheduled for the upcoming weekend.