Israel’s military said on Wednesday that the evacuation of Gaza City is “inevitable,” calling on residents to move south ahead of what it described as the next phase of its offensive against Hamas. In an Arabic-language video, IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee promised “generous” humanitarian assistance in newly prepared tent sites and aid-distribution centres once civilians leave the city. Aid agencies warned the order could worsen an already dire situation in the enclave, where more than 2 million people have been repeatedly displaced and the United Nations has declared famine in Gaza City. The Gaza Health Ministry says nearly 63,000 people have been killed since the war began, while starvation and malnutrition have claimed 313 additional lives, including 119 children. The announcement coincided with high-level talks in Washington on Gaza’s post-war future. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar at the State Department, and White House envoy Steve Witkoff said President Donald Trump will chair a separate meeting presenting what he called a “comprehensive plan” for the territory. The discussions come amid mounting outrage over a double Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis that Gaza officials say killed 22 people, among them journalists and emergency workers. Diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict remain stalled. Hamas last week accepted an Arab-mediated proposal for a 60-day cease-fire and a staged exchange of some of the 50 remaining hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, but Israel has yet to issue a formal response. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is mobilising tens of thousands of reservists even as domestic protests grow over the fate of the hostages and the length of the war.