Israeli military drops leaflets in Gaza calling for further evacuations

TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military dropped leaflets into Gaza that called for Palestinians to evacuate deeper into the territory, indicating a possible growing Israeli military operation in the besieged region.

The flyers ordered civilians in areas east of Khan Younis, which is in southern Gaza, to evacuate to "known shelters." This includes people in the towns of Al Qarara, Khuza'a, Bani Suheila and Abasan, according to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Hundreds of thousands of people from the north of Gaza have already evacuated to areas in the south, some injured or sick, walking for hours with the few possessions they could carry and sometimes amid active gunfire and bombings.

A shrinking area for displaced Palestinians to shelter likely threatens to worsen the health and living conditions of civilians there. Last week, the International Rescue Committee issued a warning about the high risks of the spread of deadly cholera and typhoid in Gaza because most of the population has no access to safe and clean water.

More than 1.5 million people in Gaza are estimated to be internally displaced, according to the U.N. That includes about 813,000 displaced people who are staying in at least 154 U.N.-run shelters — a number far more than what the facilities are capable of holding.

"Overcrowding is leading to the spread of disease, including acute respiratory illness and diarrhea, raising environmental and health concerns. The overcrowding is impacting the Agency's ability to deliver effective and timely services," U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

NPR's Anas Baba contributed reporting in Gaza.

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