UN says humanitarian work in Gaza halted as IDF orders evacuation in Deir al-Balah
Official says personnel have been focusing operations in the area but cannot continue as military instructs civilians to leave during fight with Hamas
NEW YORK — The United Nations said Monday that it had been forced to halt its humanitarian operations in Gaza due to a new Israeli evacuation order for the Deir al-Balah area, a senior UN official said.
“We are not operating today. As of this morning, we’re not operating in Gaza,” the official said, adding that since the start of the war, the UN has sometimes had to “delay or take a pause” in its humanitarian missions in the enclave.
“This is not a decision that we’re saying we’re stopping to operate, but practically we cannot operate,” the official said.
According to the official, the UN “had relocated most of our personnel in our operations” to Deir al-Balah following a Rafah evacuation order several months ago.
The Israel Defense Forces said on Monday it was targeting terror operatives in Deir al-Balah and working to dismantle the “remaining terrorist infrastructure” of Hamas, whose October 7 massacre in southern Israel triggered the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF told people in the area on Sunday to “evacuate immediately.”
“We need to find solutions,” the UN official said. “And if it means that we need to anchor down for 24-48 hours and reset, we do that. But we’re not leaving.
“Right now, the challenge is to find a place where we can reset and effectively operate.”
War broke out on October 7, when Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251. It is believed that 105 hostages remain in Gaza, including the bodies of 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 40,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 17,000 combatants in battle and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and says Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
The Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.
