Red Cross President: Mass evacuation of Gaza City is impossible

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has strongly criticized 'Israel’s' plans for a large-scale evacuation of Gaza City, warning that such a move would put civilians in even greater danger.

“It is impossible that a mass evacuation of Gaza City could ever be done in a way that is safe and dignified under the current conditions,” ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement on Saturday. She described the proposal as “not only unfeasible but incomprehensible.”

Spoljaric cautioned that forcing hundreds of thousands to leave would trigger “a massive population movement that no area in the Gaza Strip can absorb, given the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and the extreme shortages of food, water, shelter and medical care.”

Her remarks came a day after the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) labeled Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone,” signaling preparations for a takeover of the enclave’s largest urban center. While the IOF has not issued a formal evacuation order, its Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said earlier this week that leaving the city was “inevitable.”

Nearly a million people are estimated to be living in Gaza governorate, which encompasses Gaza City and surrounding areas in the north. The majority of Gaza’s population has already been displaced multiple times during nearly two years of aggression, with the United Nations declaring famine across parts of the territory.

Read more: UN declares first-ever famine in Middle East, in Gaza

Spoljaric stressed that many civilians would not be able to leave even if ordered to. “Many are unable to comply with evacuation orders because they are starving, sick, injured or suffering from physical disabilities,” she said, adding that “all civilians are protected by international humanitarian law (IHL), whether they leave or stay behind, and must be allowed to return home.”

The Red Cross chief also underlined that IHL requires 'Israel' to guarantee adequate shelter, health care, safety, and nutrition for displaced people and to prevent families from being separated. “These conditions cannot currently be met in Gaza,” she said, warning that “this makes any evacuation not only unfeasible but incomprehensible under the present circumstances.”

She renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire, a significant increase in humanitarian aid, and the release of 'Israeli' captives.

“Any further escalation of the conflict will only lead to more death, destruction and displacement,” Spoljaric said.