13-10-2023 (NEW YORK) The United Nations reported that Israel’s military conveyed a directive late on Thursday, instructing 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza to relocate to the southern part of the enclave within the next 24 hours. This announcement has raised concerns among Palestinians, who fear it might be a prelude to an impending Israeli ground offensive in response to a deadly attack by Hamas militants.
U.N. officials in Gaza received this information through their liaison officers in the Israeli military, according to a statement from U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric in New York. He stated, “This amounts to approximately 1.1 million people,” which is nearly half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population. The designated areas north of Wadi Gaza include Gaza City, the largest city in the enclave.
Dujarric expressed the U.N.’s grave concern, saying, “The U.N. considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences.”
As of the time of this report, Israel’s military had not offered immediate comment on the relocation warning. The warning coincided with Israel’s concentration of tanks near the Gaza border and a relentless airstrike campaign on the enclave.
However, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Gilad Erdan, seemingly confirmed the warning and criticized the U.N.’s response. He stated, “The U.N.’s response to Israel’s early warning to the residents of Gaza is shameful.” Erdan urged the U.N. to focus on condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to self-defense.
Salama Marouf, the head of the Hamas government media office, dismissed the relocation warning as an Israeli attempt to spread disinformation, aiming to create confusion among Gaza’s citizens and undermine internal unity. He advised citizens not to engage with such attempts.
Hamas recently carried out a deadly attack over the weekend, resulting in the death of 1,300 people and marking the most devastating assault on civilians in Israel’s history. In response, Israel imposed a siege on Gaza and initiated a bombing campaign that obliterated entire neighborhoods. According to Gaza authorities, over 1,500 Palestinians have lost their lives as a result.
Dujarric revealed that the Israeli military’s directive, received by the U.N. in Gaza shortly before midnight on Thursday, applied to all U.N. personnel and individuals taking refuge in U.N. facilities, including schools, health centers, and clinics.
