More than 680,000 Palestinians forced to flee again in Gaza: UN

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN said Wednesday that more than 680,000 Palestinians have been again forcibly displaced across the Gaza Strip in the last three months, as Israeli attacks continue to expand.

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference that on Tuesday the "Israeli authorities issued another displacement order in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah."

"This has affected hundreds of families living in five neighborhoods. Five primary health care centers and three medical points are located within 1,000 meters (3.281 feet) of the displacement area," Dujarric said.

Noting that the newly designated evacuation zone covers three additional square kilometers, OCHA reported that "this means the area currently under displacement orders or located in Israeli-militarized zones now amounts to more than 82% of the Gaza Strip."

Stressing the effect on critical health infrastructure, Dujarric also said five primary health care centers and three medical points were located within 1,000 meters of the newly affected areas of displacement orders.

The mass displacement continues at an alarming rate, with almost 250,000 people forced to flee in the last 30 days, he added.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 55,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.