Jerusalem: On October 13, 2023, Israel’s military directed the evacuation of northern Gaza, a region that is home to 1.1 people — about half of the territory’s population — within 24 hours, a U.N. spokesman said. The order was issued as part of Israel’s ongoing offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
“Gaza Update: 220,000 people sheltering in 92 UNRWA schools, 340000 Displaced Palestinians. With no access to essential supplies, UN humanitarians warn that Gaza is on the brink of running out of food, water, electricity, & critical supplies”, the United Nations tweeted.
The evacuation order has sparked fears of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The United Nations has warned that it is impossible for 1.1 million people to evacuate within 24 hours without devastating consequences. The UN has also said that it does not have the capacity to assist with such a large-scale evacuation.
The Israeli military has said that the evacuation order is necessary to protect civilians from Hamas rocket attacks. Hamas has been firing rockets into Israel for several weeks, killing and injuring dozens of people.
However, critics of the Israeli military’s decision have accused it of using civilians as human shields. They say that the evacuation order is a way to force Hamas to move its fighters and weapons out of northern Gaza, and that it will put civilians at risk.
It is unclear what will happen if the people of northern Gaza do not evacuate. The Israeli military has not said what it plans to do if people remain in the area.
The evacuation order has also raised concerns about the future of the Gaza Strip. Some analysts believe that the order is a sign that Israel is preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza. A ground invasion would be a major escalation of the conflict and could lead to a significant loss of life.
The evacuation order has also been criticized by the international community. The United Nations has called on Israel to rescind the order, and the European Union has expressed its concern.