In a significant development, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sent a notification to the United Nations (UN) on Friday, urging UN staff and the entire population of Palestinians in northern Gaza to move to southern Gaza within a tight 24-hour window.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, made this disclosure while speaking to AFP in New York.
The IDF is reportedly gearing up for a ground invasion in response to Hamas’s incursion into Southern Israel, following six days of airstrikes in Gaza.
According to the IDF, Hamas’s infiltration into Israel has resulted in approximately 1,300 Israeli casualties.
On the Palestinian side, the Gaza Health Ministry reports 1,537 Palestinian casualties, with 420,000 individuals displaced. Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack, citing the “desecration of the al-Asqa mosque” by Jewish individuals.
The UN expressed concerns about the evacuation notice, especially given the roughly 1.1 million Palestinians living north of Wadi Gaza, including UN staff and foreign residents in affected areas.
Dujarric stated that executing such an evacuation within 24 hours poses a formidable challenge, with the potential for severe humanitarian consequences.
The United Nations fervently appealed for the reconsideration of this order, emphasizing the risk of escalating an already tragic situation into a catastrophic one.
Israel has imposed a complete blockade on Gaza, reportedly cutting off essential services like water, electricity, and gas while intensifying efforts to locate and apprehend Hamas militants both inside and outside its borders.