Israeli military officials released an audio recording of one of their soldiers speaking with a Gazan resident who said Hamas is using violence to prevent Palestinians from evacuating from parts of the Gaza Strip.
The recording features an Israel Defense Forces officer telling a Gazan resident, presumably over a phone call, to evacuate his position as it is "unsafe," suggesting an Israeli strike was imminent.
The resident tells the Israeli officer that Hamas has blocked the roads and shoots at civilians who try to evacuate. The man claims that the terrorist organization sends people back into their homes if they try to evacuate.
"They are simply sending everyone back home," the Gazan man says in the video. "They are shooting at people."
Israel's release of the recording comes a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel agreed to delay its invasion of the Gaza Strip to give the United States time to install missile defense systems at nearby bases.