CNN: Israel drops leaflets warning Gaza residents to evacuate ahead of strikes
Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israeli forces dropped leaflets in northern Gaza on Sunday to warn residents to move away from Hamas sites to avoid military strikes.
Battle over 'human shields'
Video on Hamas-run television showed a Hamas spokesman urging people to serve as human shields, CNN's Jake Tapper reported Thursday.
Palestinian sources have also described some deaths in the conflict as being people who formed a "human shield."
But former Palestinian adviser Diana Buttu told "The Lead with Jake Tapper" that she does not believe "people are going to listen to somebody who says stay inside while your house is being bombed."
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, regularly uses sites and facilities populated by civilians.
"The leadership of Hamas and the other organizations has chosen -- at a time when they are using the population of Gaza as human shields -- to hide under ground, to flee abroad and to deliberately put civilians in the line of fire," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting Sunday.
"This is the entire difference between us and Hamas -- we are using defensive systems against missiles to protect the residents of Israel, and they are using the residents of Gaza to protect arsenals of missiles. Nothing better underscores the difference in this campaign. Israel is a democracy that is fighting -- in a legitimate and focused manner -- against unbridled terrorists," he said.
Throughout the conflict, Israel has warned Gaza residents of upcoming attacks targeting militants and terrorist infrastructure. On Twitter on Sunday, the IDF posted: "To warn civilians of an impending strike, the IDF drops leaflets, makes personalized phone calls & sends SMSes. How many militaries do that?"
"Sirens heard across (Israel). Gaza terrorists are firing barrages of rockets. Israel is under attack," the IDF posted, with a photo asking "What would you do?"
The leaflets told residents which roads were safe to take and gave a time frame. "The IDF is not interested in hurting you or your family members. These operations are limited and short. Whoever does not adhere to these instructions and does not vacate their house immediately is subjecting their lives and the lives of their children and family to danger," the leaflet said.
The Israeli military said it also drops empty shells on roofs, an operation it calls "roof knocking," to alert civilians that airstrikes are imminent.