HAMILTON, Canada

The UN said on Thursday that more than 417,000 people have been displaced from northern Gaza since mid-August, warning of dire and unsafe conditions in the south, where civilians have been told to move by Israeli forces.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that "in the span of just 10 hours yesterday, partners tracking population movements counted 6,700 people fleeing from the north to the south."

Since mid-August, "more than 417,000 such displacements have been recorded," it added.

Between Saturday and Tuesday, OCHA said: "Some 127,000 people arrived in nearly 360 displacement sites that partners have been able to monitor in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis." Altogether, those sites are now hosting more than half a million people.

Noting the dire conditions in the south, the UN agency said it received reports of "intense strikes in recent days in parts of Deir al Balah, one of the places where people have been told to move. Tents, houses, and even a crowded market have been hit, with the UN Human Rights Office reporting that many of those killed appear to be civilians."

It also added that families in southern Gaza are "squeezed into overcrowded shelters or makeshift tents along the coast," with many sleeping in the open "amid rubble" and facing "poor sanitation, no privacy or safety, and a high risk of children being separated from their families."

UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher stressed on the US social media company X that "fighting continues in Gaza City. Access to the north is difficult. Need for unimpeded humanitarian effort, but many humanitarians forced to suspend ops."

"Issuing displacement orders does not absolve parties to conflict from responsibilities: many civilians remain and must be protected," he added.