​​​​​​​HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Tuesday warned of worsening conditions in the Gaza Strip as Israeli military operations escalate.

It urged the international community to act to prevent further suffering.

"I think you're all following the news from Gaza, and it is clear that our warnings that the Gaza Strip could be sliding into an even deeper catastrophe are now materializing as military operations in Gaza escalate further," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

He stressed that "the international community still can and must act decisively to prevent further suffering."

Noting that "over the past 48 hours, the Israeli military has struck high-rise buildings, with more families losing their homes or tents," Dujarric reported that "Israeli authorities today ordered everyone in Gaza City to journey south."

"All of this is happening just over two weeks since famine was confirmed in the Gaza governorate," he added.

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric said that "leaving the north is simply impossible for many people."

He said transportation to leave the north "can cost up to $1,000," but would need to be via roads that are "barely passable, and displacement sites in the south are beyond overcrowded."

"Today and yesterday, our colleagues tracking displacement trends recorded 9,400 movements from northern to southern Gaza, bringing the number recorded since mid-August to nearly 62,000 as of 2 p.m. local time," he said.

He also noted that the "overall, displacements across the Gaza Strip have now reached 110,000 since mid-August, including many within the north."