Palestinians living in Gaza continue to be subjected to forced migration due to Israeli attacks. The Israeli army has forcibly expelled Palestinians from Gaza to the Al-Mawasi region, demanding the evacuation of some areas that it previously claimed were “safe”.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), made statements on his social media account regarding the forced displacement in Gaza. Lazzarini stated that the people of Gaza were forcibly displaced due to the “evacuation” orders of the Israeli government, and that this was creating panic and chaos.
Lazzarini said that after the evacuation orders, people often had only a few hours to leave the area they were in and migrated on foot or by donkey cart with whatever they could find. Noting that almost everyone in Gaza was affected by these “evacuation” orders, Lazzarini said that many Gazans had been forced to migrate once a month since October 7.
Noting that Gazans continue to search for non-existent safe havens in the region, Lazzarini said, “This evacuation tactic only brings more misery, fear and pain for people who have nothing to do with this war. The people of Gaza are not ping- pong balls or chess pieces, they are human beings.”
Lazzarini noted that currently only 14 percent of the Gaza Strip remains outside the areas Israel wants evacuated. This means that the vast majority of the population of Gaza, where approximately 2.3 million Palestinians live, are squeezed into a tiny area.
According to UN data, it is stated that 9 out of every 10 people in Gaza have been forcibly displaced due to Israeli attacks and “evacuations.” The Palestinian Red Crescent announced that the area of Al-Mawasi, where displaced Palestinians have taken refuge, is so crowded that there is not even room for a tent.
