According to our monitoring, between 16 and 25 August 2024, the Israeli military issued five new displacement orders targeting central Gaza, especially the city of Deir Al-Balah and its surrounding areas—all locations that were previously designated as part of the so-called ‘humanitarian safe zone’. In August alone, Israel has issued nine displacement orders targeting various areas of Khan Younis and an additional four orders for northern Gaza. These latest orders come on top of ongoing displacement directives that have been in effect in northern Gaza since 13 October 2023. Since then, UN OCHA estimates that Israel put 88.5% of Gaza’s territory under displacement order.
At the time of writing, approximately 1.8 million Palestinians are crammed into an area of around 40 square kilometers—about 11% of Gaza’s total area—unilaterally designated by Israel as a 'humanitarian safe zone' (see area in red in the map below). Despite this misleading label, we firmly refute the claim that any place in Gaza can be considered safe. Over the past 10-and-a-half months, not only has Israel repeatedly changed the boundaries of these so-called humanitarian zones, but also repeatedly targeted them with military attacks that have killed hundreds of Palestinians. With these latest displacement orders, Israel further reduced the already shrinking Al-Mawasi ‘humanitarian zone’, all while the international community remains idle. With a staggering population density of about 45,000 people per square kilometer, any single attack in this area could potentially kill hundreds of Palestinians at once.
“Israel’s continued cycle of forced displacement has left the people of Gaza with nowhere to go. The so-called ‘safe humanitarian area’, which is neither safe nor humanitarian, covers only about 11% of Gaza. There is no space left for new tents, and some people have been displaced up to 15 times. Additionally, there is no transportation available to move around”, said Samir Zaqout, Al Mezan’s Deputy Director, currently displaced in central Gaza. “People are in a state of panic and fear, unsure of what to do or where to go. We are all waiting for the next displacement order, wondering when it will come and where people will be forced to go next”.
The recent displacement orders in and around Deir Al-Balah are having a devastating impact on humanitarian operations on the ground. Following the Israeli displacement order affecting Rafah in May 2024, most UN agencies and international NGOs relocated their operational centers and staff to Deir Al-Balah. On 25 August, the Israeli military ordered ‘all residents and displaced persons in Block 128 of Deir al-Balah’ to flee, warning that the area would become a ‘dangerous combat zone’. Consequently, the UN and various international NGOs were forced to vacate their operational centers in Deir Al-Balah, significantly disrupting their ability to provide essential support and services on the ground.
This new wave of displacement orders coincides with the UN’s preparation for a vaccination campaign targeting 640,000 Palestinian children in Gaza against polio type two (nOPV). This initiative is of extreme urgency, especially in light of the recent confirmation by the World Health Organization that a 10-month-old baby in Deir Al-Balah has contracted polio—the first such case in Gaza in over 25 years. The baby has developed irreversible paralysis in the lower extremities. Over one million children are at risk of contracting polio. The delay in the vaccination campaign due to Israel’s displacement orders highlights a trend of weaponizing previously eradicated, highly infectious diseases as a tool of genocide. This strategy deliberately uses such diseases to inflict permanent disability or death on Palestinian residents of Gaza.
Since 13 October 2023, Israel’s displacement orders have severely hindered our organizations' ability to carry out our mandates and effectively monitor and document Israeli crimes and violations of international law in Gaza. Notably, the recent directives targeting Deir Al-Balah forced the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) to vacate its temporary office located in Block 128. This marks the second time PCHR has had to relocate after its three main offices across Gaza were either extensively damaged or completely destroyed. The first temporary office, located in Rafah, was vacated in May 2024 when the Israeli military launched their ongoing ground invasion therein.
Moreover, the Israeli directive dated 25 August 2024 has also pushed hundreds of patients, staff, and sheltering persons to flee from Al-Aqsa Hospital, the primary healthcare facility in Deir Al-Balah. Although Al-Aqsa Hospital is not located within Block 128, but in its proximity, the widespread fear and terror triggered by the displacement order has driven many people to flee. We are equally concerned that Al-Aqsa Hospital may become the target of Israeli attacks and raids, as has happened at several hospitals throughout Gaza. This scenario can and must be averted by the international community.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health affirmed that Al-Aqsa Hospital will continue to operate. Of around 650 patients, only 100 remain in the hospital, including seven in the intensive care unit under life-saving treatment. On 26 August, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that “an explosion approximately 250 away [from Al-Aqsa Hospital] triggered panic with many choosing to leave the hospital”. They added that “[as] a result, MSF is considering whether to suspend wound care for the time being, while trying to maintain life-saving treatment”. Should the Israeli military force Al-Aqsa Hospital to evacuate in the future, it would leave thousands without access to critical medical care. Israel’s ongoing genocide has already devastated Gaza's healthcare system, reducing nearly all hospitals to either inoperable or only partially functional statuses.
The establishment of these so-called ‘humanitarian safe zones’ reveals a genocidal pattern designed to forcibly displace Palestinians to areas lacking essential services necessary for their survival. These zones are characterized by inadequate supply of food, water, electricity, and medical and sanitation facilities, with minimal humanitarian aid available. The spread of diseases like polio, exacerbated by the lack of vaccination for children, further highlights the dire conditions. Under the guise of ‘safety’ and ‘protective measures’, Israel is deliberately imposing conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The international community must take urgent, immediate, and effective action to stop Israel's ongoing genocide and the forcible displacement of almost two million Palestinians. The immediate and crucial first step is to implement measures to enact a ceasefire. We previously warned that an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah would be catastrophic, and the international community’s lack of concrete action allowed that to unfold. Should the Israeli military also invade Deir Al-Balah, the situation could be even worse. Mere statements and empty condemnations have proven utterly insufficient in halting the invasion of Rafah, and they will be equally ineffective in preventing the potentially looming invasion of Deir Al-Balah. What is urgently needed are concrete measures: imposing sanctions and enforcing a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and taking all other decisive and necessary actions to halt Israel’s genocidal military campaign in Gaza, which is approaching its 11th month.