United Nations humanitarian aid operations in Gaza came to a standstill on Monday after "Israel" issued new evacuation orders for Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip late Sunday, according to a senior UN official. The escalation in evacuation orders has severely disrupted the delivery of critical assistance to the region, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis.

The official, speaking in anonymity, said, "We're unable to deliver today with the conditions that we're in," adding that "As of this morning, we're not operating in Gaza." 

"We're not leaving [Gaza] because the people need us there," the official said. "We're trying to balance the need of the population with the need for safety and security of the UN personnel." 

The official revealed that UN staff on the ground had been instructed to seek ways to continue operations despite the challenges, clarifying that UN operations had not been formally suspended, but the new evacuation orders have significantly hindered their ability to provide aid effectively.

Furthermore, the official said the United Nations had relocated its main command operations for the Gaza Strip and most UN personnel to Deir al-Balah after "Israel" ordered the evacuation of Rafah in the south of Gaza. 

"Where do we move now?" said the official, adding that UN staff had to be moved so quickly that equipment was left behind following Israeli evacuation orders.

The official said that "the challenge is to find a place where we can reset and effectively operate," adding that "The space to operate is being restricted more and more than ever." 

Earlier this week, the spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), Louise Wateridge, warned that death appears to be the only certainty for the 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza, where "no place is safe" due to ongoing Israeli bombardments.

Speaking to AFP from within the besieged strip via video link, Wateridge described the dire situation, "It does feel like people are waiting for death. Death seems to be the only certainty in this situation."

Having been in Gaza for two weeks, Wateridge is witnessing firsthand the scale of the humanitarian crisis, the pervasive fear of death, and the spread of diseases as the conflict drags on.

"Nowhere in the Gaza Strip is safe, absolutely nowhere is safe," she said from Nuseirat in central Gaza, a location frequently targeted by Israeli airstrikes. "It's absolutely devastating."