On Friday, the Israeli authorities began evacuating settlements near the Gaza Strip of their residents, according to Israeli media reports.

Press reports stated that about 10,000 settlers were evacuated from the towns surrounding Gaza to the city of Eilat.

The towns and settlements of the Gaza Strip have been the target of Palestinian resistance rockets over the past few days.

These movements coincide with the Israeli army issuing orders to the residents of Gaza to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip and head to its south within 24 hours.

The Israeli steps, in parallel with launching violent raids on Gaza, indicate an imminent ground attack on the Strip, expected within hours.