UN says Israel placed nearly 84% of Gaza Strip under evacuation orders

Citing the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters during a news conference that Israel’s “ongoing bombardment and hostilities in Gaza continue to kill, injure and displace Palestinians – as well as damage and destroy the homes and infrastructure they rely on.”

He said “two evacuation orders were issued by the Israeli military over the weekend for Khan Younis, mostly for areas that were previously placed under evacuation.”

The orders have affected around 23 displacement sites, 14 water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and four educational facilities.

“In total, about 305 square kilometers (117.7 square miles), or nearly 84% of the Gaza Strip, have been placed under evacuation orders by the Israeli military,” he said.

Haq also noted that the entry of aid supplies into Gaza is severely restricted due to “active hostilities, access constraints, high levels of insecurity, the lack of public order and safety” and other factors.

Asked whether a genocide is unfolding in Gaza, Haq said there would have to be “a judicial ruling” by appropriate courts to label it as genocide.

Referring to his previous statements regarding the situation across the Gaza Strip, he said “these are alarming figures for any conflict anywhere” and called for a cease-fire.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last October by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 92,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.