Israeli Military Evacuation Orders Affect 84% Of Gaza Strip, Says UN

Israeli bombardment from air, land, and sea continues across much of the Gaza Strip, leading to civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of homes and infrastructure. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) - Occupied Palestinian Territory reported these findings in a recent update.

Since 4 July, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has documented 21 strikes on schools serving as shelters in Gaza. These attacks have resulted in at least 274 deaths, including women and children. Seven schools used as IDP shelters were hit since 1 August: Dalal Al Mughrabi School on 1 August, Hamama School on 3 August, An Nasser and Hasan Salama schools on 4 August, Al Zahra and Abelfattah Hamouda schools on 8 August, and Al Tabi’een School on 10 August.

OHCHR condemned the increased frequency of strikes by the Israeli military "on schools where hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced Palestinians have sought shelter, conducted with apparent disregard for the high rate of civilian fatalities." OHCHR further stated: "Despite IDF statements that all measures are taken to avoid civilian harm, the repeated strikes on IDP shelters in areas to which the populations have been forced to move, and the consistent and predictable impact on civilians, suggest a failure to strictly comply with obligations required by International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack."

Access constraints within Gaza severely hinder humanitarian aid delivery. Between 1 and 11 August, out of 85 coordinated missions to northern Gaza, only 34 were facilitated by Israeli authorities. Additionally, 32 were denied access, 13 were impeded, and six were cancelled due to logistical or security reasons. In southern Gaza, out of 122 missions planned during this period, only 63 were facilitated while 36 were denied access.

The cumulative impacts of these access constraints undermine efforts to address urgent humanitarian needs. This perpetuates a cycle of deprivation among affected people across Gaza.

Extent of Evacuation Orders

As of 12 August, Israel's "humanitarian area" in Al Mawasi has reduced from nearly 59 square kilometres in early 2024 to about 46 square kilometres. This area now covers approximately 12.6 percent of the Gaza Strip. Overall, around 305 square kilometres or nearly 84 percent of Gaza has been placed under evacuation orders by the Israeli military.

Damage to Educational Infrastructure

UNICEF reports that more than half of schools used as IDP shelters have been directly hit over the last ten months. According to an assessment by the Education Cluster using satellite imagery collected on 6 July, about 85 percent of school buildings (477 out of 564) were either directly hit or damaged. This includes public schools (264), UNRWA schools (156), and private schools (57).

The ongoing conflict has led to significant damage to educational infrastructure in Gaza. The Education Cluster's assessment revealed that out of the total school buildings assessed using satellite imagery collected on July 6th:

The division between north and south Gaza along with frequent evacuation orders further complicates aid delivery efforts.

The situation remains dire as ground incursions and heavy fighting continue alongside rocket fire by Palestinian armed groups toward Israel.

The ongoing conflict has caused widespread destruction and suffering among civilians in Gaza.

With inputs from WAM