UN official says 'nowhere is safe in Gaza'
A United Nations official warned Thursday that "nowhere is safe in Gaza" amid the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which the U.S. has declared a terrorism organization.
The continued bombardment of the besieged territory by the Israeli military is a response to Hamas's Oct. 7 surprise attacks that left more than 1,400 people in Israel dead and more than 200 taken captive as hostages.
Israeli forces have ordered more than 1 million civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate their homes and travel south in anticipation of an expected ground invasion.
Lynn Hastings, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, said these warnings are ineffective.
"For people who can't evacuate — because they have nowhere to go or are unable to move — advance warnings make no difference," Hastings said in a statement.
"When the evacuate routes are bombed, when people north as well as south are caught up in hostilities, when essentials for survival are lacking, and when there are no assurances for return, people are left with nothing but impossible choices," she added. "Nowhere is safe in Gaza."
More than 7,000 Palestinians have been killed in subsequent attacks on the region, in addition to over 18,000 others wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry reported in an update Thursday.
Coupled with a bombardment of Gaza, Israel also ordered a compete siege on food, water, medicine and fuel in the territory — putting a halt on the territory's already dwindling supples as it tries to treat the thousands injured.
"The conduct of armed conflict, anywhere, is governed by international humanitarian law," Hastings said. "This means that civilians must be protected and have the essentials to survive wherever they are and whether they choose to move or stay."
"It also means that hostages — all hostages — must be released, immediately and unconditionally," she added.
Israel launched a brief raid in northern Gaza overnight into Thursday, striking several militant targets in order to "prepare for the battlefield."
The raid comes as humanitarian agencies warn of dwindling fuel supplies. Two small aid convoys that did not include fuel were allowed to enter the territory through a U.S.-brokered deal last weekend, though humanitarian agencies have warned much more aid is needed.