GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — More than 100,000 displaced Palestinians in central Gaza are once again on the move after the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders on Tuesday, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The orders targeted the densely populated area of Deir Al-Balah, which the Israeli military described as “a dangerous combat zone.”
Shortly after the evacuation orders were issued, tank fire erupted in the area, resulting in at least one fatality and multiple injuries, according to local medics and residents.
“There’s nowhere left to go in what is now just 11 percent of Gaza,” said Jonathan Whittall, a senior humanitarian affairs officer with OCHA, underscoring the dire situation facing civilians in the enclave.
The residents of Deir Al-Balah, who have been displaced multiple times since the onset of the Israeli military campaign, now face a new wave of uncertainty as they attempt to escape the violence. Their plight is exacerbated by the ongoing lack of a ceasefire agreement, leaving them in a perilous state of limbo.
The conflict has already displaced the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, with many forced to seek refuge in areas designated as safe zones. However, even these zones have not been immune to Israeli strikes, resulting in continued civilian casualties.
