The WhatsApp group members had advantages many fellow Gazans lacked: working cellphones and a way to communicate with one another to avoid deadly Israeli strikes.
But snippets of their conversations about the besieged southern city of Khan Younis show how even they were flummoxed by Israel’s sometimes contradictory evacuation warnings, which they described as confusing.
“How do you know which blocks are under threat? Where do you get the news from,” read one of the snippets seen by The New York Times.
“Is block 49 under threat?”
“People, if anyone understands the map, please clarify it to us.”
For the many Gazans without reliable cellphones or access to social media, the options for obtaining accurate information to navigate Israel’s evacuation orders are even more challenging — especially since the Israeli military this month intensified its offensive aimed at Hamas militants in southern Gaza.