By Anadolu staff
ANKARA (AA) – More than 75,000 Palestinians have been displaced in southwest Gaza in the past few days, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Sunday.
“Over the decades, Palestinian civilians have been caught up in wars and conflicts, far too many times,” Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA commissioner-general, said on X.
“Just in the past few days, more than 75,000 people have been displaced in south west Gaza,” he added.
Lazzarini noted that the Israeli authorities issued additional orders overnight forcing more people to flee, “again and again.”
Some of the fleeing Palestinians are only able to carry their children with them, “some carry their whole lives in one small bag,” he added.
“They are going to overcrowded places where shelters are already overflowing with families. They have lost everything and need everything,” Lazzarini said.
“Unlike in other wars, the people of Gaza are trapped and have nowhere to go,” he added
The Israeli army issued late Saturday and early Sunday evacuation orders for residents in the Gaza Strip the latest of which was issued for the “humanitarian safe zone” in Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip.
This marks the third time in about a week that the Israeli army has expanded its evacuation orders in Khan Younis, where it announced the start of an offensive military operation on Friday.
Despite appeals Thursday from mediators, including Egypt, the US and Qatar, to stop hostilities and reach a cease-fire and a hostage exchange agreement, Israel persists with its deadly onslaught against Gaza.
The Israeli onslaught has killed nearly 39,800 victims since October following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.
More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
* Writing by Ikram Kouachi