In Alimal's case, the freelance cameraman working for the BBC said he was not told to evacuate himself, but later found out that his neighbours had been told to do so.
He left the area with his family and headed north. They are now in the port area but lack basic necessities. He says he is having trouble finding water for his children.
The IDF confirmed in a statement that it had launched a new operation in Tel al-Halwa after receiving intelligence about Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad infrastructure and fighters in the area.
Military authorities also said they were conducting operations at the headquarters of Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in the area.
The IDF said it warned civilians when the operation began and that it would open humanitarian corridors to allow people to leave the area.
Israel's recent offensive in the Gaza Strip has raised hopes that a ceasefire agreement will finally be reached.
A senior Palestinian official with knowledge of the talks told the BBC that indirect talks between Hamas and Israeli negotiators, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, would begin in Doha within the next 48 hours.
The official also said a preparatory meeting between CIA Director William Burns, David Barnea, head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, and Abbas Kamel, head of Egypt's intelligence agency, was scheduled to take place in Cairo on Monday.
All three intelligence chiefs are scheduled to leave for Doha on Tuesday.
The official told the BBC that from Hamas' perspective there were some key issues.
Hamas wants Israeli forces to withdraw from the Rafah border with Egypt and the Philadelphia Corridor, which runs along the Egyptian border.
Israel has vetoed Hamas' demand to free 100 senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Fatah political faction members from Israeli prisons.
Hamas' negotiating team has already dropped its demand that Israel accept a permanent ceasefire as a precondition for any potential talks.
The official said the negotiation process would be very long and complex, but there was some hope that it would work this time.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Sunday may have tempered expectations somewhat, insisting that no negotiations should prevent Israel from resuming fighting in Gaza until it has achieved its war goals.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly defined the goal as eradicating Hamas militarily and politically.
