Israel’s Forced Displacement of Palestinians in Gaza “Humanitarian Zone” Threatens Collapse of Aid Response

Statement by Refugees International Senior Advocate for the Middle East Jesse Marks:

"Refugees International is deeply alarmed about new mandatory evacuation orders issued by Israeli authorities. Tens of thousands of civilians have been told to leave in the last 72 hours. This latest round of mandatory evacuation orders cuts deep into the so-called "humanitarian zone" where over 1.7 million civilians, UN responders, and humanitarian organizations are sheltering due to prior IDF evacuation orders.

Since October, more than 90 percent of Gaza's population have been systematically and repeatedly displaced by such orders, including over 250,000 Palestinians in August alone. As of August 19, 86 percent of the territory is now under mandatory evacuation. Some 30,000 to 34,000 Palestinians are crammed into every square kilometer of the so-called safe zone in appalling conditions. These evacuation orders do not protect vulnerable Palestinian communities, they endanger them.

Humanitarian operations have also been badly hampered by the most recent evacuations. UN agencies and 24 NGOs have been affected, including through forced displacement of staff members, disruption of operations, and the loss of warehousing within the evacuation areas. This poses immense challenges in delivering aid on top of already inconceivable and impossible circumstances.

The repeated relocations are especially harmful to vulnerable groups, including acutely malnourished children, who require interventions to stabilize their conditions. A UN official told Refugees International that each time they are forced to relocate their operations, essential services for these children are disrupted, significantly increasing the risk to the survival of these children.

The IDF cloaks these orders in the language of civilian protection. In reality, it is actions like these - taken with utter disregard for their actual impact on civilians - that drive much of the displacement and devastation in Gaza. Vice President Harris, in her Democratic National Convention speech, bemoaned the situation of "desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again" in Gaza. These orders perpetuate that very cycle of displacement and dehumanization.

This war cannot go on. We call for a halt to these mandatory evacuation orders - but more importantly, we call again for the Israeli government and Hamas to immediately lay down arms and agree to an immediate cease-fire. We reiterate our longstanding call for Hamas to unconditionally release all hostages, and for the release of detained Palestinian civilians. And we call on the US and other governments to use ALL tools at their disposal to pressure and compel the belligerents to immediately end this war.

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Etant Dupain at [email protected].