On October 13, 2023, the Israeli army issued a directive, following a warning from the United Nations, which reported that Israel had instructed 1.1 million residents in northern Gaza to leave within 24 hours.
The order comes on the seventh day of the war and “total blockade” declared by Israel after an unprecedented attack by Palestinian resistance movements on October 7. Residents of Gaza City are being directed to move further south into the Gaza Strip, which has a population of about 2.3 million people.
“This evacuation is for your own safety,” the Israeli military stated in a message sent to civilians in Gaza City. They cautioned that “in the following days,” the Israeli army “will continue to operate significantly in Gaza City and make extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians.” Since the onset of the war, relentless Israeli bombardments have resulted in the deaths of more than 1,500 people, nearly half of whom are children and women.
WHO: It is a death sentence, beyond cruel
On the other hand, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric expressed concerns, stating, “The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences.”
He added, “The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded, avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation.”
The World Health Organization echoed these warnings, with spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic noting, “There are severely ill people whose injuries mean their only chances of survival is being on life support, such as mechanical ventilators.” He emphasized, “So moving those people is a death sentence. Asking health workers to do so is beyond cruel.”
The toll in the seventh day of the genocidal offensive
Israeli bombardments have resulted in the deaths of more than 1,500 people, nearly half of whom are children and women.
According to the UN, Israel has destroyed eleven mosques and damaged 90 schools so far. In addition, citing numbers from the Gaza Ministry of Public Works and Housing, the UN says that Israeli attacks have also destroyed 752 residential and non-residential buildings, comprising 2,835 housing units. Another nearly 1,800 housing units have been damaged beyond repair and rendered uninhabitable. The UN agency voiced alarm at the significant destruction of civilian infrastructure damaged in the shelling.
When it comes to displacement, the UN emphasized that more than 423,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, following heavy Israeli bombardments since 7 October. As of late Thursday, the number of displaced in Gaza rose by 84,444 people to reach 423,378, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in a statement sent on Friday.
More than 1,300 people, including 222 soldiers, have been killed in Israel, according to the Israeli military.