GAZA / PNN/
Israeli orders for the evacuation of northern Gaza, issued on October 7, are pushing tens of thousands of people to flee southwards as the area faces continued airstrikes and ground assaults. As this latest forced mass displacement unfolds, residents from Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahia are urged to move to the so-called humanitarian zone between Al-Mawasi and Deir al-Balah, where over a million people are living in dire conditions. However, the region remains unsafe for both civilians and aid workers, with ongoing Israeli bombardments.
The forced evacuations and relentless shelling of residential areas by Israeli forces have turned northern Gaza into an uninhabitable wasteland, effectively emptying the northern part of the strip of its Palestinian population. The situation is compounded by the Israeli blockade preventing any humanitarian aid from entering since October 1.
Doctors Without Borders is calling on Israeli forces to halt the evacuation orders that are leading to the forced displacement of civilians and to ensure the protection of non-combatants. The organization also urges the immediate opening of humanitarian corridors to deliver essential supplies to the north.
Mahmoud, a security guard working with Doctors Without Borders, who fled Jabalia to seek refuge at the organisation's guesthouse in Gaza City, recounted, "We were suddenly told to evacuate the north. We left our home in despair, under a barrage of bombs, rockets, and artillery fire. It was incredibly difficult. I would rather die than be displaced to the south. My home is here, and I don’t want to leave."
Israeli forces have also ordered the evacuation of the three main hospitals in northern Gaza: the Indonesian, Kamal Adwan, and Al-Awda hospitals. These hospitals are operating at minimal capacity, treating 317 patients, including 80 in intensive care who cannot be moved, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Protecting these hospitals is crucial, alongside other partially functioning medical facilities throughout the strip.
Doctors Without Borders' clinic in Gaza City treated 255 patients on Sunday and Monday alone, as access to healthcare becomes increasingly limited. Reaching the few remaining medical facilities is impossible for many, and the organisation has received reports of injured individuals dying due to a lack of access to care.
Among those facing evacuation in the north are seven Doctors Without Borders staff members who have found shelter in Gaza City, while five others remain trapped in Jabalia, where Israeli ground forces are engaged in attacks.
Sarah Foulestieke, Doctors Without Borders' project coordinator in Gaza, said, "The latest move to forcibly push thousands of people from northern Gaza to the south is turning the north into a lifeless desert, while worsening the situation in the south, where more than a million people are trapped in a small area and living in horrific conditions."
"Access to water, healthcare, and safety is nearly non-existent, and it's unimaginable to think of squeezing more people into this space. People have been living under endless displacement and unrelenting bombardment for the past 12 months. Enough is enough – this must stop now," she added.
While Israeli authorities recently announced a slight expansion of the so-called humanitarian zone, the area remains under evacuation orders and is unsafe due to ongoing Israeli strikes. Many people living in this zone suffer from skin diseases and respiratory infections due to the harsh conditions. Concerns are growing with the approaching winter and colder temperatures.
Doctors Without Borders demands that Israeli forces immediately cease the evacuation orders in northern Gaza. The relentless killing of civilians in Gaza must end, and an immediate and lasting ceasefire must be implemented.
