The United Nations has warned that approximately 250,000
people will be forced to flee Khan Younis in southern Gaza following new
Israeli evacuation orders amid renewed military escalation. The mass
displacement signals an intensifying humanitarian crisis, with thousands
seeking shelter in already overcrowded and unsafe areas as aid agencies voice
urgent concerns.
Why Has the UN Issued an Estimate of 250,000 Displaced in Khan Younis?
According to Daniel Johnson, reporting for UN News, chaos and panic have engulfed southern Gaza after
“an estimated 250,000 people are set to be impacted by new Israeli military evacuation orders from Khan Younis”.
The
orders, announced Monday evening, have prompted thousands of Palestinians to
hastily leave eastern parts of the city, fearing imminent danger as Israeli
military operations expand.
UN agencies report that the exodus follows
“another night of heavy bombardment across the enclave,”
leaving families with little choice but
to erect makeshift shelters along the coastline. This wave of evacuations
marks one of the largest displacement events since the outbreak of conflict in
October 2023.
What Is the Situation for Civilians Escaping Khan Younis?
As reported by the BBC, tens of thousands of Palestinians have streamed out of eastern Khan Younis, searching desperately for asylum as
“the mass departure from Gaza’s second-largest city of Khan Younis persists following Israeli military evacuation directives”.
The UN estimates that
“a quarter of a million individuals in the eastern sectors of the city are impacted by the orders released on Monday,”
signalling the potential for a
renewed Israeli ground operation in the area.
The BBC account details how
“the situation in Khan Younis is dire, with a significant hospital now deserted after evacuating all patients and medical staff.”
Families recount harrowing journeys, many
“carrying whatever they can, sometimes by hand, through unsafe roads and hazardous environments.”
One father shared his experience of a
“three-hour trip on a donkey-pulled cart to a designated humanitarian area with insufficient amenities”.
Aid organisations, including UNRWA, caution that
“many have had to turn back after finding nowhere to shelter”
as makeshift camps and UN facilities strain under the pressure of mounting arrivals. UNRWA further states,
“Thousands are sheltering in UNRWA schools…and government buildings,”
with some
“already beginning to turn back, telling us of lack of spaces in other areas”.
What Has Prompted the New Evacuation Orders?
The latest Israeli military evacuation orders come in the wake of intensifying conflict, further destabilising communities already uprooted several times since October. UN officials confirm,
“the scale of needs remains massive after new evacuation orders were issued on Monday night for eastern Khan Younis and Rafah, covering about one third of the total area of Gaza and representing the largest such order since October”.
According to Human Rights Watch, following the initial attack by Palestinian armed groups on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel responded with a sweeping military campaign across Gaza that included a
“massive bombing campaign and ground attacks,”
forcing residents to evacuate repeatedly.
“The UN estimates that 1.9 million people were displaced in Gaza as of October 2024 out of a population of 2.2 million people”.
Recent evacuation orders reinforce what the report describes as
“forced displacement of the majority of the civilian population of Gaza”.
How Are Humanitarian Services and Healthcare Systems Coping?
The BBC reports that
“evacuation of medical facilities like the European Gaza hospital raises concerns about the healthcare crisis in Gaza, with overcrowded hospitals and shortages of essential medical supplies exacerbating the situation”.
Medical agencies warn that health care access
is severely compromised as practitioners and patients are forced to abandon
their posts amidst the bombings.
Daniel Johnson, for UN News, underscores the dangers faced by displaced families:
“Unexploded ordnance poses an enormous threat to people, as families are forced to move to areas that have been bombarded or were the scene of previous heavy fighting,”
with children often
“spending six to eight hours a day collecting water and food, often carrying heavy weights and walking long distances”.
Aid groups reiterate that the scale of need is staggering, with UNRWA striving to distribute
“water, food, and other essential non-food items with the help of other partners.”
Despite these efforts,
“living conditions are beyond unbearable, because of the mountains of waste and rubbish piled high alongside roads and near makeshift shelters”.
What Is the Broader Impact of Displacement Across Gaza?
As described by The Associated Press, the repeated displacement has become a grim routine, with
“around 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people displaced by the war, often multiple times, according to U.N. estimates”.
Residents, such as Shifaa Hejjo, recount returning to “a sea of rubble” where their homes once stood:
“I couldn’t tell where people’s homes were… It is better to live in my home, where I lived for 37 years, even though it is destroyed”.
The AP further notes that
“hundreds of thousands have crowded into sprawling tent camps near the coast with no electricity, running water or toilets. Hunger is widespread.”
The UN is quoted as saying,
“unemployment has soared to around 80% — up from nearly 50% before the war — and that almost the entire population is living in poverty”.
What Have Israeli and Palestinian Officials Said?
According to Human Rights Watch, the Israeli military has justified evacuation orders by citing safety concerns and stating that
“Hamas fighters were utilizing civilian areas for military purposes, thereby necessitating the displacement of civilians to minimise casualties during military operations”.
In multiple statements, Israeli authorities claim their objective is to
“eliminate threats posed by militant groups embedded in civilian areas,”
while Palestinian officials and witnesses describe the evacuations as
“flagrantly failing to keep Palestinians in Gaza safe, and in fact put them in harm’s way”.
How Are Displaced Gazans Surviving in Makeshift Camps?
As reported by UN News and the BBC, the displaced population must “erect shelters at the water’s edge” and find space in UNRWA schools, government buildings, or tents made of salvaged materials. These makeshift camps are plagued with under-resourced sanitation, risking rapid disease transmission. “There were diseases spreading,” recounts one displaced resident.
Abdelrahman, a father who made the journey with his family, told the BBC:
“We had nowhere else to go. My children were crying the whole way. We found only a few tents, and it was already packed”.
The humanitarian situation is further compounded by frequent
Israeli airstrikes, resulting in further casualties amongst displaced families,
as described in the BBC’s coverage of an extended family who “fell victim to an
Israeli airstrike” just after reaching a supposed safe zone.
What Is the Outlook for Internally Displaced People in Gaza?
Reports from UNRWA and OCHA reveal a bleak future, as
“new evacuation orders issued on Monday night for eastern Khan Younis and Rafah...represent the largest such order since October”.
The United
Nations cautions that the aid lifeline is at risk as access to shelters, clean
water, and medical care becomes ever more precarious.
Daniel Johnson of UN News summarises the existential threat for many in Gaza:
“Thousands are already beginning to turn back, telling us of lack of spaces in other areas… Living conditions are 'beyond unbearable'”.
What Comes Next for the Civilians of Khan Younis?
The forced displacement of some 250,000 residents from Khan
Younis is unfolding as one of the most significant humanitarian crises since
the onset of the conflict in Gaza. Amid continuing hostilities and a relentless
cycle of evacuation and return, the UN and aid groups urge for immediate steps
to protect civilians and restore access to basic human necessities. As the
streets of Khan Younis and broader Gaza fill once more with those fleeing
violence and uncertainty, the struggle for survival in already overwhelmed
camps and ruined neighbourhoods continues, with no clear end in sight.