“Successive mass evacuation orders issued by Israeli forces amid hostilities have displaced 90 per cent of Gaza’s residents since October 2023, often multiple times, exposing them to harm and depriving them of the essentials to survive. During August alone, the Israeli forces have issued 12 evacuation orders – on average, once every two days – forcing as many as 250,000 people to move yet again,” said a statement made Thursday, Aug 22, by Muhannad Hadi, United Nations’ Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Just yesterday, tens of thousands of civilians in four neighborhoods in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis were instructed to leave. Humanitarian staff of several UN agencies and NGOs were also affected, along with their families. Humanitarian workers play a critical role in supporting other displaced Palestinians.

Palestinian family flees from Gaza City due to the Israeli bombing and attack on several areas in the city, July 9, 2024 (Photo: WAFA)

According to Hadi, “If evacuation orders are meant to protect civilians, the fact is that they are leading to the exact opposite. They are forcing families to flee again, often under fire and with the few belongings they can carry with them, into an ever-shrinking area that is overcrowded, polluted, with limited services and – like the rest of Gaza – unsafe. People are being deprived of access to services essential for their survival, including medical facilities, shelters, water wells and humanitarian supplies.”

The water supply in Deir al Balah has decreased by at least 70 per cent due to the shutdown of pumps and desalination plants located within evacuation zones. A severe chlorine shortage for water disinfection, with reserves expected to last only one more month, is fueling disease, skin infections, hepatitis A and now polio.

“Civilians are exhausted and terrified, running from one destroyed place to another, with no end in sight. This cannot continue. International humanitarian law demands that the parties protect civilians and meet their essential needs. The way forward is as clear as it is urgent: protect civilians, release the hostages, facilitate humanitarian access, agree on a ceasefire,” Hadi added.

According to WAFA news agency, Israeli occupation forces committed three massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the last 24 hours, resulting in the killing of at least 42 Palestinians and the injury of 163 others, according to medical sources. Medical and health sources affirmed that the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli war since October 7 has risen to 40,265 reported fatalities, with an additional 93,144 individuals sustaining injuries. Most of the victims are women and children.

Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=32068