New York: According to a U.N. spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, Israel’s military ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza, home to 1.1 million people, or over half of the territory’s population, within 24 hours.
Although the Israeli military has not yet verified such an order, this directive might be a precursor to an upcoming ground invasion. On Thursday, it said that a decision had yet to be made while preparing.
The U.N. has received the order as Israel intensifies its offensive against Hamas fighters. According to a U.N. spokeswoman, the decision cannot be made without grave humanitarian repercussions.
The Israeli military earlier destroyed the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, prepared for a potential ground invasion, and declared that its total siege of the region would continue until Hamas militants release about 150 hostages taken during a bloody weekend incursion. This has left Palestinians needing food, fuel, and medicine.
Despite international aid organizations warning of a rising humanitarian crisis, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit and shipments of American munitions gave Israel a green solid light to move through with its retribution in Gaza after Hamas’ fatal attack on civilians and troops. Israel has stopped bringing electricity and supplies from Egypt to Gaza, where there are 2.3 million Palestinians.
Out of a population of 2.3 million, the number of persons displaced by the airstrikes increased by 25% daily, reaching 423,000, the U.N. reported on Thursday. Most people are crammed into U.N.-run schools.
