Israel's demand for 1.1 million people to evacuate northern Gaza in 24 hours is 'impossible' without devastating consequences, UN says
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Cheryl Teh
Oct 13, 2023, 21:54 IST
An explosion on a residential tower caused by Israeli strikes in the northern Gaza Strip on October 12.Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images
The UN says Israel's demand that northern Gaza be cleared out in 24 hours is "impossible."
A UN spokesperson said a mass human exodus would have "devastating humanitarian consequences."
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A United Nations spokesperson says Israel has imposed an "impossible" demand for more than 1 million people to get out of northern Gaza in the span of 24 hours.
Late Thursday local time, just before midnight Friday, the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces told the UN that everyone living in northern Gaza needed to evacuate within 24 hours, per a statement provided to Axios, The New York Times, and CNN.
The UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told Axios that meant the more than 1.1 million people living north of Wadi Gaza needed to flee south — abandoning their homes, hospitals, and shelters.
"The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences," he said, adding that the global body "strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded, avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation."
In a statement to Insider, the IDF did not mention a 24-hour deadline but said it urged all civilians in Gaza City to move south "for their own safety and protection" and to avoid being used as "human shields" by Hamas.
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"The Hamas terrorist organization waged a war against the State of Israel and Gaza City is an area where military operations take place," the statement said. "This evacuation is for your own safety. You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting it is made. Do not approach the area of the security fence with the State of Israel."
Israel on Thursday said it had dropped more than 6,000 bombs on the Gaza Strip since Saturday, retaliation for the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israeli land. Hamas fighters have killed about 1,200 Israelis and injured another 3,000, the IDF said Thursday.
The Palestinian health ministry on Thursday evening said at least 1,537 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, with 6,612 others injured, since Saturday.
Representatives for the UN didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Correction: October 13, 2023 — An earlier version of this story omitted the first name of the UN spokesperson who spoke with Axios. His name is Stéphane Dujarric.
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