HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Thursday warned of the adverse effects of Israel's mass evacuation orders in the Gaza Strip, saying such orders are endangering the lives of civilians.

"The Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, today warned that successive mass evacuation orders issued by Israeli forces are exposing people in Gaza to harm and depriving them of the essentials they need to survive," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at a news conference.


"There has been an average of one evacuation order every two days this month – forcing as many as a quarter of a million Palestinians to uproot their lives yet again," Dujarric quoted Hadi as saying.

"Hadi said that if these evacuation orders are meant to protect civilians, they are in fact doing the exact opposite. They are forcing families to flee again – often under fire and with the few belongings they can carry with them – into an ever-shrinking area that is overcrowded, polluted, with limited services and – like the rest of Gaza – unsafe," Dujarric noted.

Emphasizing the impact of evacuation orders on aid work, Dujarric said: "Many of our humanitarian colleagues have been forced to move because of these directives, which affect their premises, warehouses and other facilities."

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last Oct. 7 by Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

The Israeli onslaught has resulted in nearly 40,300 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 93,100 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.