UN worker says little space left for displaced Gazans to go

Gemma Connell, leading a humanitarian team affiliated with the United Nations, reported on Monday that many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip adhered to evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army. 

They sought safety in designated areas but encountered a challenge due to limited space in the densely populated region.

Connell, who has been in Gaza for several weeks, described the situation as a “human chessboard,” where thousands of people, displaced multiple times, are attempting to find refuge. She emphasized that there is no guarantee that their next destination will be safe.

The United States, Israel’s strongest ally in its conflict with Hamas, has been urging the Israeli government to take more steps to minimize harm to civilians. This includes identifying safe zones and opening humanitarian corridors for people to escape.

As the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs team, Connell visited the Deir al-Balah neighborhood in central Gaza on Monday. She stated, “People are heading south with their belongings in small trucks and vehicles, attempting to find a safe place.”

She further expressed, “I spoke to many people. There is a small space left here in Rafah to the point that people do not know where they will go. It seems like people are being moved around like pieces on a human chessboard because there is an evacuation order somewhere.”