Israel tells 1.1m Palestinians in north Gaza to leave

Palestinians in northern Gaza have been told to evacuate their homes and move south within 24 hours, but rights groups warn 'nowhere is safe in Gaza' so where can they go?

Israel has told the United Nations that the northern Gaza Strip must be evacuated within 24 hours.

The Israeli occupation army informed the UN “that the entire population of Gaza north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within the next 24 hours,” UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement late yesterday.

The statement came amid Israeli reports saying the Israeli army is ready to launch a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip and is awaiting approval at the political level.

Noting that around 1.1 million people live in the northern Gaza Strip, Dujarric said: “The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded, avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation.”

“We believe it is impossible for such a step to occur without devastating humanitarian consequences,” he said.

The spokesman noted that the order also applies to “all UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities – including schools, health centers and clinics.”

Oxfam has warned that nowhere is safe in Gaza. “There is no single square metre in Gaza that is safe. It’s all under attack,” an Oxfam official said in an interview yesterday.

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