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A UN humanitarian team leader has reported a severe lack of space for displaced Palestinians in Gaza.
Gemma Connell, stationed in Gaza for several weeks, likened the situation to a “human chess board,” with thousands displaced more than once and finding no guaranteed safety in their destinations.
As Israel continues its military operations against Hamas, the US, Israel’s key ally, has urged Israel to minimise civilian casualties by identifying safe zones and clearing humanitarian routes.
Despite these efforts, Ms Connell’s observations paint a grim picture.
“People were heading south with mattresses and all of their belongings in vans and in trucks and in cars in order to try and find somewhere safe,” she said during her visit to Deir Al Balah in central Gaza.
Ms Connell said the extreme congestion in Rafah left many without a clear refuge.
“I’ve spoken to many people,” she said.
“There’s so little space left here in Rafah that people just don’t know where they will go, and it really feels like people being moved around a human chessboard because there’s an evacuation order somewhere.
“People flee that area into another area. But they’re not safe there.”
She related the tragic death of a boy, 9, named Ahmed in Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al Balah, which was a supposed safe area.
“He was not in an area under an evacuation order,” Ms Connell said.
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