The recent military order from Israel requiring residents and displaced individuals in Deir el-Balah, Gaza, to relocate south has delivered a “devastating blow” to the already precarious humanitarian efforts in the region, as reported by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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OCHA issued a stark warning yesterday, indicating that this “mass displacement order has further strained the fragile lifelines keeping people alive across the Gaza Strip.” In a situation that has already reached critical levels, the order has caused distress as whole families are seen carrying their scant belongings to the south, responding to the call for evacuation amid imminent military actions.
Despite the ongoing turmoil, OCHA has assured that their staff is committed to remaining on the ground, having shared their coordinates with “relevant parties” for safety and coordination.
Tragically, the situation has escalated further. Reports from Gaza’s civil defense agency indicated that Israeli forces opened fire on crowds awaiting food assistance, resulting in the tragic loss of 93 lives and injuring many more.
According to initial estimates from OCHA, between 50,000 and 80,000 people were caught in the area when the evacuation order was enacted. The humanitarian crisis is deepening, with nearly the entire population of Gaza facing displacement at least once due to repeated Israeli evacuation orders.
With these conditions, OCHA reports that a staggering 87.8% of Gaza is now under displacement orders or within Israeli militarized zones. This has left “2.1 million civilians squeezed into a fragmented 12% of the Strip, where essential services have collapsed.” The agency has reiterated that “Gaza is on the brink of famine,” highlighting the dire need for unhindered humanitarian access.
The implementation of this latest order “will limit the ability of the UN and our partners to move safely and effectively within Gaza, choking humanitarian access at a time when it is needed most.” In a further troubling development, Israel has revised the residency permit of Jonathan Whittall, the head of the OCHA office in Israel, who has vocally condemned the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
The ongoing military campaign has led to the deaths of 58,895 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, as corroborated by the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory—a figure the UN finds credible. This unfortunate escalation of violence began following Hamas’s attack on Israel in 2023, which resulted in the death of 1,219 individuals, most of them civilians, as documented by AFP’s tally based on official statistics.
In the words of humanitarian leaders, “In times of crisis, our focus must remain on compassion and support for those suffering.” It is vital that international efforts persist in seeking solutions that prioritize the well-being of civilians caught in conflict.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
