Israeli military tells 100,000 people to leave parts of Rafah in Gaza _ BBC News

We begin this hour in the Middle East .

Israel's military has said it's begun ordering Palestinian civilians to leave parts of Eastern Rafah ahead of a planned operation in the southern Gaza city .

In this video by the Israeli Defense Forces , they're urging those in Eastern Rafa close to the border with Israel to move to what they call a humanitarian zone in the Al Miwasi and Khan Yunus areas .

The IDF have said this is a limited operation and should affect about a 100000 people .

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to insist that a military operation in Rafah is necessary to seek out remaining Hamas fighters despite widespread humanitarian concern for those sheltering there .

Western and Arab leaders have repeatedly warned against such a wide ground operation because of the prospect of high numbers of civilian casualties .

Meanwhile , officials from Israel and its closest ally , the US , have been holding meetings to discuss alternative , more focused plans .

It's not yet clear if the new evacuation orders are part of those .

I wanna speak to James Elder , who's a spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund , also known as UNICEF .

Thanks very much indeed for for being with us .

Tell us what you think the impact will be of this evacuation .

Lauren , absolutely devastating .

Here are families in Rafa .

Their coping capacity has been smashed .

This is 6 months of enduring this war , moving many times , probably having lost a home already .

They are .

Children are malnourished .

They've already been living in conditions with , you know , one one shower for 3 and a half 1000 people .

They're being told to move , quote , unquote , to a humanitarian zone .

That's a unilaterally declared humanitarian zone .

That's not a humanitarian zone where humanitarians have been able to provide the services they need to .

So I've been talking to colleagues and friends in Rafa this morning , and they're they're terrified .

I was speaking , Lauren , to a young woman .

She's like , I know this has been coming .

I just don't know what to pack .

They'll go to an area in the middle zone , Lauren , called Dairy Bala , where there is literally raw sewage in the streets , or maybe to Almorwassee , which is a beach .

Same story applies .

Nowhere is safe , but as unbearable as this is , it's happening , and and it's going to be horrific .

And is it your understanding that , there are only specific areas that people have been allowed to move to , or can they can they choose ?

No .

There are specific areas without a doubt .

Partly , they will have to choose based on those people who have the means to leave .

A lot of people have injured children with them .

Hospitals , as I've seen , hospitals cannot cope with the number of injuries .

There's a lot of children who have had amputations , who are back living in tents .

Those families will find it hard to move .

But geographically , logistically , no .

You still can't .

A lot of families will not be able to move to the north if they'd hoped to .

Khan Yunus is impossible .

That's another city bordering , Rafa .

That is rubble , not a little bit , but street after street of rubble .

So they'll be pushed into this area called Miwasi lorem , which is a beach area .

It's sand .

It has next to no sanitation or hygiene .

It's getting hot right now in Gaza .

It's raining today , but it's getting hot .

So that'll be intense side by side , 5 or 6 times the population density of New York City , but all on the ground , not a high rise to be seen , with no hospital care .

The last remaining hospital of size is in Rapha , European Hospital , so named because it was donated by the people of Europe .

It's got 20,000 people hiding there and thousands more , in care .

They will have to move somewhere without the medical care that they need .

Tell us , you you said that , the Israeli army had set up these areas without , assistance from the humanitarian community .

What can you now do in terms of providing help if people are moving ?

Is is there anything you can do ?

Yeah .

It's it's a great question .

The whole aid operation has been so fragile because because of denials and restrictions and insecurity and bombardments .

Let's not forget our our colleagues from the World Central Kitchen who were killed a week later .

A UNICEF vehicle come came under fire .

Now , of course , that crossing in Rafa that is the lifeline of aid .

If we are going to get close to meeting the the needs of people , that crossing will now be closed for I don't know for how long .

So , no , we have to be clear .

You can't unilaterally declare a safe zone .

Firstly , because the other side won't be considering it as that , and secondly , because the United Nations needs time to actually try and support a million or 2 people .

I said this in November .

UNICEF and the UN has said this , Lauren , from the very start in November December .

This safe zone narrative is very dangerous because a safe zone legally must also provide water , food , sanitation , and protection .

These zones don't have that for people .

And quite frequently , as the people in Rafa will tell you , safe zones also get bombed .

James Elder from UNICEF , thank you very much indeed for taking the time to talk to us .