The Red Cross warns it is impossible to keep civilians safe
during a mass Gaza City evacuation, as Israel steps up its military assault.
Despite international outcry over malnutrition in the beleaguered enclave, Israel is continuing its strategy to seize complete control of the Gaza Strip, beginning with Gaza City, with the aim of eliminating Hamas following nearly 23 months of conflict.
"It is impossible that a mass evacuation of Gaza City could ever be done in a way that is safe and dignified under the current conditions,"
Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement.
With acute shortages of food, shelter, and medical supplies, an evacuation would result in a large-scale population relocation that no other region of the Gaza Strip is prepared to handle, Spoljaric warned.
The Israeli military announced on Friday that it "will continue to support humanitarian efforts alongside ongoing manoeuvring and offensive operations against terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip in order to protect the state of Israel" .
Israel has called on residents to evacuate to the Palestinian enclave's southern region.
According to Spoljaric, a large number of Gaza City residents are malnourished, ill, or injured, making it impossible for them to comply with evacuation orders.
When Israel issues evacuation orders, it is required by international humanitarian law to make sure that people have access to food, shelter, and protection.
"These conditions cannot currently be met in Gaza. This makes any evacuation not only unfeasible but incomprehensible under the present circumstances,"
Spoljaric added.
According to Israeli estimates, the conflict started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led forces attacked Israeli villages, killing over 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 captives.
According to Gaza health officials, Israel's military operation in Gaza has killed over 63,000 individuals, the majority of whom were civilians.
What specific humanitarian conditions make evacuation of Gaza City unsafe?
There is a severe scarcity of food, water, shelter, and
medical supplies in Gaza, and, therefore, evacuees would be subject to hunger
and hardship both during and after displacement.
The areas proposed for evacuation are already overcrowded, with over one million people living in very close quarters in inhumane conditions. These are regions that can’t handle a huge inflow of displaced people.
Gaza City has seen widespread physical destruction from relentless bombing, rendering many homes and infrastructure unsafe or unusable. Some are starving or have fallen ill or been injured, making them unable to evacuate. Hospitals are still functioning well below maximum capacity, with a shortage of resources, and some intensive care patients cannot be transferred.