Israel resumed large-scale airstrikes on the 17th and 18th, resulting in thousands of displaced persons daily in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on the 20th (local time), the Israeli military issued evacuation orders early the previous morning for residents in northern Gaza Strip areas including Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, as well as southern Khan Yunis. Following the evacuation orders, shelling and helicopter attacks occurred in these areas.
After the first phase of a 42-day ceasefire agreed upon by Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas ended on the 1st of this month, negotiations between the two sides stalled. Israel insisted on extending the first phase, while Hamas demanded a second phase conditioned on a complete withdrawal and the release of hostages. While both sides had refrained from clashes for a time, the Gaza Strip descended into chaos again as the Israeli military resumed airstrikes starting on the 18th.
OCHA estimated that thousands of Gaza Strip residents had to leave their homes in a single day due to the Israeli military's evacuation orders. OCHA reported, "Humanitarian workers in the Gaza Strip have informed us that residents displaced from eastern Khan Yunis to the west are seeking shelter by staying with relatives or gathering in open spaces." It added, "Many refugees from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip are seeking accommodation in Almawashi on the western coast of Khan Yunis," and "In the northern Gaza Strip, people are flocking to schools in western Gaza City or to temporary UN shelters."
The United Nations is concerned that humanitarian aid activities, which had gained momentum after the ceasefire, have been disrupted by the resumption of airstrikes. OCHA pointed out, "The passage for sending relief supplies into the Gaza Strip has been blocked for 18 days, hindering operations and worsening the catastrophic situation." It also noted, "Among the Red Crescent ambulances operating locally, half of the 53 vehicles are out of service due to fuel shortages, and since yesterday, 30 local feeding centers have closed."
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