Satellite images of Gaza on Thursday (September 18) showed a large spike in the number of tents appearing south of Gaza City as Palestinians flee the territory's largest city following Israeli strikes and repeated evacuation orders.

The satellite images, reviewed by Reuters, captures the difference between September 5 to September 18 in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, where many residents of Gaza City have fled to. The images also showed crowds of people on the move through the coastal Al Rashid road.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled Gaza City since Israel announced on August 10 it intended to take control, but a greater number are staying put, either in battered homes among the ruins or in makeshift tent encampments.

Effie Defrin, an Israeli military spokesman, said an estimated 450,000 people from Gaza City had moved southward.

The military has been dropping leaflets urging residents to flee towards a designated "humanitarian zone" in the south of the territory, but aid agencies say conditions there are dire, with insufficient food, medicine, shelter and basic hygiene.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Satellite imagery shows crowds on road and new tents south of Gaza City

VIDEO SHOWS: RECENT SATELLITE IMAGES OF GAZA SHOWING POPULATION DISPLACEMENT AS TENTS SPRING UP IN AREAS SOUTH OF GAZA CITY FOLLOWING MASS MOVEMENT AWAY DUE TO ISRAEL'S MILITARY CAMPAIGN IN THE NORTH OF THE TERRITORY

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: NEAR DEIR AL BALAH, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2025) (PLANET LABS PBC - Must on-screen courtesy 2025 Planet Labs PBC)

1. TWO SATELLITE STILLS OF CROWD OF PEOPLE WALKING ON FOOT ON THE COASTAL AL-RASHID ROAD NEAR DEIR AL BALAH

DEIR AL BALAH, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 5, 2025) (PLANET LABS PBC - Must on-screen courtesy 2025 Planet Labs PBC)

2. SATELLITE STILL SHOWING SALAH-AL-DIN ROAD BEFORE WAVE OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED GAZANS ARRIVED

DEIR AL BALAH, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2025) (PLANET LABS PBC - Must on-screen courtesy 2025 Planet Labs PBC)

3. SATELLITE STILL SHOWING SALAH-AL-DIN ROAD WITH NEWLY SET UP TENTS AFTER DISPLACED GAZANS ARRIVED

DEIR AL BALAH, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 5, 2025) (PLANET LABS PBC - Must on-screen courtesy 2025 Planet Labs PBC)

4. SATELLITE STILL SHOWING DEIR AL BALAH BEFORE WAVE OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED GAZANS ARRIVED

DEIR AL BALAH, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2025) (PLANET LABS PBC - Must on-screen courtesy 2025 Planet Labs PBC)

5. SATELLITE STILL SHOWING DEIR AL BALAH WITH NEW TENTS AFTER DISPLACED GAZANS ARRIVED

DEIR AL BALAH, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 15, 2025) (PLANET LABS PBC - Must on-screen courtesy 2025 Planet Labs PBC)

6. SATELLITE STILL SHOWING AREA OF DEIR AL BALAH WITH TENTS ALREADY SET UP BEFORE FURTHER WAVE OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED GAZANS ARRIVED

DEIR AL BALAH, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2025) (PLANET LABS PBC - Must on-screen courtesy 2025 Planet Labs PBC)

7. SATELLITE STILL SHOWING AREA OF DEIR AL BALAH AFTER MORE DISPLACED GAZANS ARRIVED

KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 5, 2025) (PLANET LABS PBC - Must on-screen courtesy 2025 Planet Labs PBC)

8. SATELLITE STILL SHOWING LARGELY DESTROYED AREA OF KHAN YOUNIS

KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2025) (PLANET LABS PBC - Must on-screen courtesy 2025 Planet Labs PBC)

9. SATELLITE STILL SHOWING HUNDREDS OF TENTS APPEARING AFTER WAVE OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED GAZANS ARRIVED