UNRWA Reports 400,000 People Trapped Amid Israel’s Gaza Offensive

The ongoing Israeli military offensive centered around Jabaliya refugee camp has left hundreds of thousands of civilians in Gaza trapped. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), stated on X that “at least 400,000 people are trapped in the area.” He highlighted the grim reality of uncollected bodies lying in the streets as a result of the renewed fighting. Lazzarini further noted that repeated evacuation orders from Israeli authorities have forced people to flee multiple times, yet many refuse to leave, knowing that “no place anywhere in Gaza is safe.”

Military Objectives and Humanitarian Impact

The Israeli military asserts that its large-scale raid, now entering its fifth day, aims to dismantle Hamas’s operational capabilities in Jabaliya and prevent potential attacks. However, Lazzarini warned that this military operation has led to the shutdown of UNRWA shelters and services for the first time since the war began, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. With basic supplies dwindling, the threat of hunger looms large in northern Gaza.

“This recent military operation also threatens the implementation of the second phase of the #polio vaccination campaign for children,” Lazzarini said, underscoring the far-reaching implications of the conflict.

Evacuation Orders and Hospital Closures

In addition to the evacuation orders, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have mandated the closure of several hospitals in northern Gaza, including Kamal Adwan, Indonesia, and Al-Awda hospitals. The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights labeled the situation as “deja vu,” recalling the horrors that have followed such orders in the past.

International medical group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has also raised alarms about the deteriorating conditions in northern Gaza. An MSF staff member, Mahmoud, shared his harrowing experience of fleeing Jabaliya under fire. “I would prefer to die than to be displaced to the south; my home is here, and I do not want to leave,” he stated.

Sarah Vuylsteke, an MSF project coordinator in Gaza, described the forced displacement as a move turning northern Gaza into a “lifeless desert,” further complicating the dire situation in the south. “Access to water, healthcare, and safety is already almost nonexistent,” she lamented.

Escalating Violence and Casualties

As the military actions continue, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and numerous humanitarian facilities have been adversely affected by the latest evacuations across Gaza. Between Saturday and Monday, evacuation orders targeted multiple areas in the northern region and parts of central and southern Gaza, raising concerns about further humanitarian access constraints.

In recent strikes, at least 18 individuals were killed, including five children and two women, according to Palestinian medics. Two Israeli airstrikes targeted tents for displaced persons in the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps, while an Israeli strike on a family home in Jabaliya claimed the lives of at least nine people. The latest fatalities brought the total number of Palestinians killed since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023 to a staggering 42,010, with over 97,720 injuries reported, as per Gaza’s ministry of health.