• The UN’s humanitarian aid operation in Gaza continues despite claims of a halt.
• The military’s actions were taken to protect civilians and target Hamas “terror operatives” in the area.
• The UN is working with the UN and other international organizations to find alternative locations.

The UN has reported that its humanitarian aid operation in the Gaza Strip continues despite a senior official’s claim on Monday that it had halted due to Israeli military evacuation orders.

Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday evening that conditions have made it “extremely, extremely difficult” to carry out their work, but added, “We are doing what we can with what we have.”

On Sunday, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for part of the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone around the central town of Deir al-Balah, where the UN had its main operations center. As a result, UN staff had to relocate quickly. The military stated that it took this action to protect civilians while targeting Hamas “terror operatives” in the area.

The Israeli military said it is working with the UN and other international organizations to find alternative locations for continuing their activities.

According to the UN, which is the primary provider and distributor of humanitarian aid in Gaza, up to 88.5% of the territory has been placed under evacuation orders since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.

This situation has forced an estimated 1.8 million people to seek shelter inside the humanitarian zone, which currently covers only about 41 sq km (15.8 sq miles) and lacks critical infrastructure and basic services.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 40,500 people have been killed in the territory since then.

On Tuesday evening, Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud stated that the UN is determined to stay in Gaza to deliver life-saving aid to Palestinian civilians. However, he also noted, “Like most Palestinians in Gaza, we are running out of safe spaces for our own staff.”

Mr. Michaud said that on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) gave more than 200 UN personnel only a few hours’ notice to vacate their offices and living spaces in a southern area of Deir al-Balah.

The UN’s humanitarian office reported that the order impacted 15 UN and NGO premises, as well as four UN warehouses, a water desalination plant, and al-Aqsa hospital, the town’s main medical facility.

World Food Programme staff, among those forced to relocate, managed to deliver food aid on Tuesday.

“The timing could hardly be worse, with the start of a massive polio vaccination campaign scheduled for next week, for which large numbers of staff will need to enter the strip,” Mr Michaud said.

“However, the IDF’s actions this weekend compound existing security threats and seriously impact the pace at which we can deliver safely. These constraints are beyond our control.”

The UN plans to vaccinate 640,000 children to prevent a polio outbreak after a 10-month-old baby, who contracted the waterborne disease, was left partially paralyzed. This marks the first registered case in Gaza in 25 years.

The UN has appealed to the warring parties to implement two seven-day humanitarian pauses to allow for the successful execution of the vaccinations.

On Wednesday, the IDF stated that it had to issue evacuation orders in and around Deir al-Balah to carry out “essential operations” against Hamas “terror operatives” and their infrastructure.

It also emphasized that it was operating “in full coordination with the international community to preserve the activity of vital centers, including shelters, aid depots, and residences.”

“However, in light of the cynical exploitation carried out by Hamas and other terrorist organizations, there is sometimes a need to evacuate these centers.”

The IDF stated that it would help find alternative locations for UN agencies and NGOs to continue their activities and provide alternative aid routes.

It also claimed that the UN suspension affected only “a specific, limited area for logistical organization” and that activities continued at hundreds of other locations.

Also on Wednesday in Deir al-Balah, local medics reported that at least eight Palestinians had been killed in an air strike near a school housing displaced people.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, another 11 people reportedly died in strikes as Israeli tanks advanced into the city center.

Meanwhile, the IDF announced that its forces had recovered the body of an Israeli soldier who had been abducted on October 7 and held hostage in Gaza, though it did not release his name.

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