The United Nations confirmed today, Wednesday, that the Israeli occupation army issued last night new evacuation orders via social media for Palestinians in various areas of Khan Yunis.

The report issued by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that the affected area measures about four square kilometers, and the population of the area is about 88,000 people, in addition to an estimated 425,000 displaced persons seeking shelter in 24 schools and other institutions.

The affected area includes the Nasser Medical Complex with a capacity of 475 beds, Al-Amal Hospital with 100 beds, and the Jordanian Hospital with 50 beds, representing about 20 percent of the remaining hospitals partially operating throughout the Gaza Strip, according to the report which pointed to the existence of three health clinics in the affected area.

On his part, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres affirmed that about 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza face miserable and inhumane conditions, struggling to get through another day without adequate shelter, heating, sanitary facilities, food, and potable water, noting that the United Nations is working hard to provide assistance to those in need "in the face of humanitarian suffering and tremendous obstacles."

According to the United Nations Media Center, the Secretary-General said during his briefing before the ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council today that the past one hundred days have been devastating and catastrophic for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, after more than 26,000 people were killed, most of them women and children, and more than 60,000 others wounded in operations conducted by the Israeli forces, adding "Nothing can justify collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

Guterres stressed that humanitarian workers need a set of operational requirements to do their work, including safety, appropriate equipment, logistical capacities, and ease of access, calling for the opening of more crossing points into Gaza to reduce congestion and avoid bottlenecks, demanding rapid, safe, unobstructed, expanded, and sustainable humanitarian access throughout Gaza.. noting that the majority of humanitarian missions to the northern sector were rejected by Israel during the first two weeks of January.

He repeated his call to put an end to all violations of international humanitarian law.. saying: "The use of human shields is unacceptable - as are unprecedented levels of destruction and civilian killing."

The Secretary-General renewed his appeal for an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, adding that the war and misery in Gaza fuel unrest beyond the sector's borders.. pointing to serious developments across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where tensions are rapidly escalating and dozens of Palestinians are arrested daily.

Guterres continued by saying "The risks of wider regional escalation are now a reality".. pointing to the daily exchanges of fire along the Blue Line with Lebanon, increased attacks in Syria and Iraq, expressing concern about the situation in the Red Sea, calling for a halt to all attacks on commercial ships, urging all parties to step back from the brink and consider the horrific human cost of the regional conflict.