An estimated 50,000 people fled south from northern Gaza on Wednesday as Israel continued its ground offensive in Gaza City.
Many of the buildings in the north of the Gaza Strip have been destroyed and toppled trees are a common sight.
Journalists on the ground saw little sign of civilian activity, save for Israeli flags that now fly from Gaza beach resorts.
Israeli army spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Hamas' loss of control in northern Gaza is convincing people to leave the area.
"They're leaving because they understand that Hamas lost control in the north, and in the south it's safer, Hagari said. "Hamas has lost control and is continuing to lose control in the north."
An Israeli military officer told The Associated Press news agency that soldiers had not seen civilians in the area.
"We have not seen any civilians here — only Hamas," the anonymous lieutenant colonel said. "We gave all the people that live here a good heads-up that we're coming."
He added that Hamas militants had been spotted above ground as well as emerging from a system of tunnels the group has dug under Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces said a temporary evacuation corridor will be set up again on Thursday to allow people safely to flee south.
Israel has called on residents of Gaza to move out of the northern Gaza Strip for their own safety. Israeli military operations continue in the southern regions of the enclave as well as the north.
Over 10,500 people have died in Gaza since the start of an Israeli military campaign, according to the Hamas-led Health Ministry. The Israeli operation followed Hamas terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7 that killed 1,400 people.
Netanyahu again rules cease-fire out without release of hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again rejected the prospect of a cease-fire in Gaza.
"I would like to set aside all kinds of false rumors that we are hearing from all sorts of directions and re-clarify one thing: There will be no cease-fire without the release of our hostages," Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
He made the remarks amid media reports of negotiations for the release of a dozen hostages held by Hamas in return for a three-day cease-fire in Gaza.
Hamas militants killed 1,400 people and took nearly 240 hostages during their terror attacks on Israel on October 7. Since then, Israel has carried out a military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has come under international criticism for the number of civilian casualties in the enclave. The Hamas-led Health Ministry in Gaza has said over 10,000 people have died in the territory.
Netanyahu has said the Israeli military's goal is to destroy Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Several governments designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, including the US, the EU, and Germany.
US Republican debate focuses on Israel
Israel's war against Hamas was one of the top talking points during a debate between five hopefuls vying to become the Republican Party's candidate for US president in the 2024 election.
Donald Trump's rivals pledged unconditional support for Israel during the third Republican debate in Miami. Trump did not attend the event.
The person closest to Trump in the polls, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, said his message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to "finish the job once and for all with these butchers Hamas, they're terrorists."
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has staked much of her candidacy on her foreign policy credentials, criticized President Joe Biden for urging Israel to consider humanitarian pauses.
"The last thing we need to do is to tell Israel what to do," she said. "The only thing we should be doing is supporting them and eliminating Hamas."
She broadened the blame for the war on Hamas supporter Iran, and on China and Russia for their economic ties with Iran.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also urged Israel to eliminate Hamas.
The United States, Germany, Israel and several other nations designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Gaza aid conference to begin in Paris
Officials from over 50 Western and Arab nations, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations are meeting in Paris on Thursday to coordinate aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who urged a "humanitarian pause" in the Israel-Hamas war, said he wants the conference to address the Palestinian enclave's growing needs, including food, water, medical supplies, electricity and fuel.
The Palestinian Authority's prime minister will be present. Israel was not invited, but French officials have said Israeli officials were being kept informed of developments.
The prime ministers of Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg will take part in the conference, along with EU chiefs Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen.
The meeting also brings together regional stakeholders like Egypt, Jordan and Gulf countries as well as Western nations and G20 members except for Russia.
International institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Gaza, such as Doctors Without Borders, are also slated to attend.
The aid conference comes on the sidelines of the annual Paris Peace Forum on November 10-11.
"The idea is to go around all the major donors and speed up aid to Gaza," France's Foreign Ministry said last week, adding that there would be sections on donations of goods such as food, fuel and medical supplies, financial support and humanitarian access.
