UN says new evacuation orders cause ‘largest displacement’ since October in Gaza

WFP warns that “many distribution points have had to close” and OCHA confirms suspension of operations to the north

Jul 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Nations said Thursday that new evacuation orders recently issued by the Israeli army in several parts of the Gaza Strip have caused “the largest displacement” of population in the enclave since October, when Israel launched its offensive following attacks by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and other Palestinian factions.

“The recent evacuation orders have led to the largest displacements since October,” the World Food Programme (WFP) said, adding that “many distribution points have had to close” as a result of the situation.

In a message posted on his social media account, he stressed that “only a few bakeries are still operational.” “We urgently need an increase in food deliveries and greater capacity to deliver hot meals,” he said.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also said that the Israeli army halted all missions north of Wadi Gaza, the valley that divides the enclave in two, on Wednesday.

“This means that humanitarian workers have been unable to reach any of the hundreds of thousands of people in need. It has also made it impossible for them to collect supplies from the Erez entry point,” he said, amid increased military operations in this area of ​​the enclave.

In this regard, he stressed that some of the displaced have told humanitarian workers that “Israeli troops have fired at people trying to cross” from the north to the south of Gaza, “forcing some of them to turn back.”

OCHA said that some 450 people managed to cross from Gaza City in the north into Deir al-Bala governorate in the centre on Wednesday, less than half the 1,000 a day recorded over the past week.

The Israeli army on July 10 dropped leaflets in Gaza City urging “all” residents to leave the town and head towards the centre of the enclave, amid reports of the forced displacement of Palestinians on Israeli orders. “Gaza City will be a dangerous combat zone,” it warned.

Israel launched an offensive against the Strip following the October 7 attacks, which left some 1,200 people dead and nearly 240 kidnapped. Hamas-controlled Gaza authorities have reported more than 38,800 dead, in addition to more than 560 Palestinians killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in operations by Israeli forces or in attacks by settlers.