Israel has ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza, home to 1.1 million people, the United Nations said late Thursday, a command seen as unfeasible due to the war raging between the Middle Eastern country and the militant group Hamas.
The Jewish state gave Palestinian residents of the area 24 hours to evacuate, prompting concerns that the country could soon be launching a massive ground assault. The northern part of the territory holds about half of the population of the Gaza Strip.
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U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric called Israel’s order “impossible” without “devastating humanitarian consequences,” according to the Associated Press.
Israel has sent barrages of rockets into Gaza, aiming to eliminate Hamas after the militant group launched an offensive last weekend that reportedly included the massacre of children, the rape of women, and the taking of some 150 hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also announced the blockade of Gaza, which has cut Palestinians off from basic necessities, such as food. In addition to the dangers of fleeing from an active war zone, Egypt, to the south, has been wary of allowing any large-scale influx of Palestinian refugees.
As of Thursday evening, the U.N. said 340,000 Palestinians were displaced, with mass displacement “increasing by 30 per cent in just the previous 24 hours.”
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“With no access to provide essential supplies, UN humanitarians warn that Gaza is on the brink of running out of food, water, electricity & critical supplies,” the intergovernmental organization posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The war has reportedly killed more than 2,500 people in Israel and Palestine, and thousands more have been injured. The conflict has also claimed 27 American lives, with 14 other U.S. citizens unaccounted for as of early Friday morning.
