Israel’s military has informed the United Nations that 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza were expected to move south of the enclave within the next 24 hours, a UN spokesman said, in what Palestinians fear could be a precursor to a planned Israeli ground offensive.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the warning, which came as Israel built up tanks near the Gaza border and attacked the Palestinian enclave with airstrikes following a deadly attack by Hamas militants in Israel.
“The United Nations considers it impossible for such a move to occur without devastating humanitarian consequences,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
“The United Nations strongly urges that any such order, if confirmed, be rescinded, avoiding what could turn what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation,” he said.
Dujarric said the Israeli military’s order also applies to all UN staff and those housed in UN facilities, including schools, health centers and clinics.
Israel’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hamas violence over the weekend killed 1,300 people and was the worst attack on civilians in Israel’s history.
So far, Israel has responded by placing Gaza, home to 2.3 million people, under siege and launching a bombing campaign that has destroyed entire neighborhoods. Gaza authorities said more than 1,500 Palestinians had been killed.
Source: CNN Brasil
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