Israel orders the evacuation of Palestinian civilians
This Monday, Israel issued an evacuation order for Palestinian civilians in eastern Rafah, the last stronghold they had to protect themselves during the armed conflict. The Israel Defense Forces have announced that Palestinians who have taken refuge in these areas will begin receiving messages and calls to move to a ‘humanitarian area’. Also, the humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi has been expanded to allow the increasing levels of aid that will arrive in Gaza, according to official Israeli sources.
Denial of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Despite Israel’s instructions, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has denied the existence of this humanitarian zone and has refused to leave Rafah. In addition, he has assured that he will continue to provide help ‘as long as possible’. The head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, has denounced the humanitarian access restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities and has called for humanitarian access to be facilitated throughout the Gaza Strip.
Critical situation and risk of genocide
The war in Palestine has been going on for seven months now, with a high number of victims. According to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, the Israeli army has killed 34,596 Palestinians and left 77,816 more wounded. The deaths on the Israeli side were concentrated in the attack on October 7, with 1,200 people killed and 240 kidnapped. During this conflict, 600 Israeli soldiers have died. The International Court of Justice has warned of the risk of genocide in Gaza, and UNRWA has warned that an offensive in this area would be ‘devastating’ for approximately 1.4 million people.