The General Commissioner of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, renewed the call for a ceasefire at UNRWA schools in Gaza City, stating that Gaza is no longer a place for children and that the ceasefire is long overdue. According to the United Nations Media Center, UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge said on X (formerly Twitter), “There is no safe place in the Gaza Strip. It seems like people are waiting for death.” She noted that areas within the ‘humanitarian zone’ have now become the frontline, and Gaza’s residents are now just a few buildings away from it.
The United Nations warned that the ongoing Israeli military evacuation orders in Gaza threaten more forced displacement for the people of the region, raising fears of an imminent disruption of vital services. After more than 10 months of war in Gaza, nearly all residents have been displaced at least once—and often several times—due to repeated evacuation orders and intense Israeli bombing and ongoing combat.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that Israeli evacuation orders affecting parts of Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis impacted 115 sites hosting over 150,000 displaced people, including 80 temporary sites and four UNRWA centers.
The evacuation orders have prevented access to three water wells serving tens of thousands of people. In Deir al-Balah, water supplies have decreased by 70%, and there is also a severe shortage of sanitation and hygiene materials.
As of August, the Israeli authorities had issued 11 evacuation orders affecting approximately a quarter million people. According to UN estimates at the beginning of August, about 90% of Gaza’s current population of 2.1 million people had already been displaced at least once since October 7. OCHA explained that ongoing hostilities and repeated evacuation orders in Gaza continued to restrict relief operations, which were already facing access constraints, fuel shortages, and other challenges.
OCHA also noted that parts of Salah al-Din Road—a vital corridor for humanitarian missions from south to north—were among the areas under an evacuation order issued by the Israeli authorities for Deir al-Balah, making it nearly impossible for relief workers to move along this main road. The coastal road in Gaza, suggested as an alternative, is not viable because the beaches along this road are crowded with temporary shelters for displaced Palestinians. Consequently, the movement of convoys along the coastal road has become very slow, and basic supplies and services such as water transport are not reaching those in need anywhere near the required scale.
In the West Bank, OCHA pointed to ongoing violence, noting that more than 600 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem had been killed since October—most by Israeli forces and at least 11 by Israeli settlers. OCHA recorded around 1,270 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians over the past ten months, causing deaths, injuries, and property damage.
