Gaza evacuation orders. More than 600 Palestinians killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 2023, Highlights of the noon briefing by Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General – 21 August 2024

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OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continue to sound the alarm and warn of the mass evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military this month that are pushing people into overcrowded and unsafe areas along the coast while making it even more difficult for aid organizations to operate in Gaza.

The evacuation orders issued today for part of Deir al Balah and Khan Younis have impacted 115 sites that are hosting more than 150,000 men, women and children who have been displaced. This includes 80 makeshift sites, four United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and others’ centres, and 29 informal shelters.

As with past evacuation orders, today’s directives also impact UN offices, warehouses and residences used by us and other humanitarian organizations as well as the families of staff. Following today’s evacuation from Deir al Balah, many aid workers had to evacuate their homes once again with their families.

Today’s orders have made three water wells inaccessible. Those wells serve tens of thousands of people. In Deir al Balah, the water supply has decreased by 70 per cent, and there are also critical shortages of sanitation and hygiene materials.

So far in August, the Israeli authorities have issued 11 evacuation orders impacting about a quarter of a million people. To put that figure into context, at the start of August, we already estimated that some 90 per cent of Gaza’s current population of 2.1 million people had already been displaced at least once since 7 October.

This month’s directives have also cut off sections of Salah ad Din road, a main passage for humanitarian movements. This has forced aid operations through the Coastal Road, which is extremely difficult to use due to the high level of informal settlements and people moving along those roads, which makes it difficult to move trucks, if not impossible.

As we have said repeatedly, there is no safe place in Gaza. People displaced in the wake of these evacuation orders face grave risks for their safety while fleeing, and they are arriving in areas with little to no supplies or services for them. Civilians must be allowed to seek protection. Those displaced must also be guaranteed the right to voluntary return.

Meanwhile, violence is ongoing in the West Bank, as well. According to OCHA update, as of Monday, it says that more than 600 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, as well as East Jerusalem, since October – the vast majority by Israeli forces, and at least 11 by Israeli settlers. During the same period, 15 Israelis were killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, as well as East Jerusalem.

OCHA has also recorded some 1,270 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians over the last 10 months, causing deaths and injuries and damage to property.

As a reminder, there is a scheduled briefing of the Security Council tomorrow on the Middle East tomorrow, Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process will be briefing via VTC.

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