Israel’s military has informed the United Nations that the entire population of northern Gaza should relocate to the southern half of the territory within 24 hours, the U.N. spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said late on Thursday night, adding that such a movement — involving over one million people — would lead to “devastating humanitarian consequences.”
“The same order applied to all U.N. staff and those sheltered in U.N. facilities — including schools, health centers and clinics,” Mr. Dujarric said.
The U.N. was told that the marker dividing the north from south was Wadi Gaza, the statement said.
The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Friday afternoon in a closed consultation format
Important note to those unfamiliar with the geography when reading this: the part of the Gaza Strip they want evacuated includes the entirety of Gaza City, the most populated city of the Gaza Strip. They are ordering the migration of 1.1 million people into smaller towns and cities to the south, to empty Gaza City. In 24 hours. This would be disastrous even if it was possible. But there are countless factors making it not possible for people to just pick up and leave, much less in 24 hours, including that the primary hospital of the entire Gaza Strip is in the evacuation area, and is full of injured victims of the bombings the IDF has already undertaken. They have also bombed the caravan on primary roadway people are taking out of the city, according to several news sources
Fwiw the video that Hamas themselves released shows an explosion that is very much not a missile or artillery. It has a large orange flameball, doesn’t leave a crater, leaves windows on the vans intact.
This was most likely a propane IED of which Hamas are known to use. Or a tragic accident (trucks propane tank exploding).