Rabat – The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has announced that over 80% of the Gaza Strip has been placed under evacuation orders or designated as no-go zones by Israeli forces.
“We just keep hearing the same question: Where do I go?” UNRWA expressed on social media platform X, quoting remarks from its spokeswoman on BBC’s Radio 4.
Israel’s continuous evacuation orders have rendered Gaza residents trapped in shrinking, overcrowded areas, with many struggling to find safe refuge in the wake of continuous Israeli bombardment.
The latest evacuation orders were issued for residents in the eastern parts of the Khan Younis governorate, directing them to move to al-Mawasi in the west. The evacuation order affects more than 400,000 Palestinians, who were given no time to flee as Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) began their attacks shorty after distributing leaflets.
The relentless displacement and harsh living conditions have left many Palestinians exhausted and with few options for safety.
Israeli forces have been intensifying their assault on the region, with tanks pushing further into the Khan Younis suburb of Bani Suheila and heavy bombing of several eastern districts for a second consecutive day.
This has led to tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing the southern areas of Gaza following the Israeli army’s evacuation order for parts of Khan Younis, including the al-Mawasi “humanitarian zone.”
According to Israeli forces, dozens of Palestinian fighters were killed in Khan Younis through combined efforts of tanks, warplanes, and close-quarters combat. In addition, IOF reports claim the destruction of weapon caches and tunnels, which they say were allegedly used by militant groups.
The latest offensive comes just a week after Gaza’s health ministry reported that 92 people were killed in an attack on al-Mawasi. Israel stated that the attack targeted a Hamas commander.
