Gaza Civilians Face Peril as UN Urges Urgent Ceasefire

Children queue for food in Gaza.

The UN and humanitarian partners warned on Wednesday that nearly one million civilians in Gaza City, ordered to leave by the Israeli military, have nowhere safe to go.

“We are witnessing a dangerous escalation in Gaza City, where Israeli forces have intensified operations and ordered everyone to move south,” said the Humanitarian Country Team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

“Nearly one million people are now left with no safe or viable options – neither the north nor the south offers safety.”

The warning comes two weeks after famine was confirmed in Gaza Governorate.

According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization-led Health Cluster, 361 Palestinians have died from malnutrition since the war began nearly two years ago, including 130 children.

Over half a million people are living in catastrophic conditions marked by starvation, destitution, and death.

Civilians attempting to leave northern Gaza face dangerous and barely passable roads, overcrowded shelters, and prohibitive transport costs – sums that most families simply cannot afford.

“Survivors in Gaza are exhausted,” aid agencies said, stressing that both civilians and the health infrastructure they rely on “must never be targeted.”

Hospitals are overwhelmed and collapsing under strain.

Al-Shifa and Al-Ahli facilities in Gaza City are operating at nearly three times capacity, with mass casualty incidents averaging eight per day.

If a wider Israeli offensive proceeds, the Gaza Strip could lose half its remaining hospital beds, health agencies warned.

The Humanitarian Country Team also highlighted ongoing Israeli impediments to aid, stating that “current levels of humanitarian support are wholly insufficient.”

Fuel, water, and supply routes must remain open and uninterrupted, agencies said, warning of “devastating consequences” if access is further obstructed.

“To families in Gaza: the humanitarian community will remain in Gaza City for as long as possible, and across the Strip, doing all we can to deliver lifesaving aid and services,” they said.

“To the international community: Act. Call for an immediate ceasefire. Uphold international humanitarian law, including the release of hostages and those arbitrarily detained. This catastrophe is human-made, and responsibility rests with us all.”