United Nations humanitarian monitors revealed on Tuesday that Israel’s evacuation orders in the Gaza Strip now extend to approximately two-thirds of the territory, affecting a significant portion of the Palestinian population.
The area under evacuation orders was previously inhabited by 1.78 million Palestinians, constituting 77% of Gaza’s population, before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, sparked by a deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel.
In the initial stages of the conflict, Israel’s military directed Palestinians in the northern region of the territory to vacate their homes, ostensibly to mitigate the risks posed by potential ground combat operations. Simultaneously, Israeli airstrikes persisted in the southern region, where residents were instructed to seek shelter.
Israel maintains that its military operations target Hamas installations and contends that Hamas bears responsibility for civilian casualties due to its use of civilian areas for military purposes.
According to Gaza health officials, the Palestinian death toll in the territory has surpassed 27,000, with no distinction made between combatants and civilians. However, they have indicated that two-thirds of the casualties are women and children.
Throughout the conflict, evacuation orders have progressively expanded to encompass southern areas, including the city of Khan Younis and its environs, which are currently the focal point of Israel’s ground offensive.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday that tens of thousands of individuals have fled their homes and continue to do so amid the escalating violence. More than half of Gaza’s population, totaling 2.3 million people, is now concentrated in the town of Rafah along the border with Egypt and its surrounding areas, as per OCHA’s latest daily report on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
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