Israel has issued one of the most extensive evacuation orders since the beginning of the war, directing people to leave large sections of Gaza ahead of “intense airstrikes” by the Israel defence forces.

Among the key locations singled out in the evacuation notice are Al-Shifa hospital, the Islamic University and three buildings that formerly operated as schools. The areas designated for the evacuation include parts of the city that have already been heavily damaged by previous bomb attacks. 

Aid agencies warn that moving thousands of residents out of devastated areas not be possible under the current conditions, and the lack of time to do so could result in a large number of casualties.

The former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, a prominent critic of the current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has voiced his concerns about the impact of the war on the country’s morale. 

“Most Israelis are against what is happening, large numbers of the [army’s] commanders are against explaining the military operation and want to end the war right now,” Olmert told the BBC. 

Olmert argues the current is situation is “totally intolerable, unacceptable and unforgivable, it needs to be stopped right away”.

For nearly ten weeks now, Gaza has been under a complete blockade restricting the entry of food, medicine and fuel. The UN backed evaluation has warned Gaza’s 2.1 million residents are at risk of famine and are experiencing “extreme levels of food insecurity”.

David Mencer, a spokesperson for the Israeli government told the BBC that Israel is not “starving Gaza”.

“I don’t dispute that there is hunger in Gaza, but we believe that it is hunger caused by Hamas,” he said. “There is food in Gaza, that’s our information. There is no famine.”

The World Health Organization representative Rik Peeperkorn argues “without enough nutritious food, clean water, access to health care, an entire generation will be permanently affected.”

 Netanyahu has said Israel will expand its military offensive in Gaza and that nothing will stop the war until Hamas is defeated.

Photo: Jaber Jehad Badwan found HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has not been modified.