WHO vows to stay in Gaza, appalled by 'Israel’s' evacuation order
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WHO warns that "Israel’s" so-called "humanitarian zone" in Gaza cannot sustain forcibly displaced Palestinians, as hospitals and aid workers face mounting risks.
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Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza carry their belongings along the coastal road toward southern Gaza, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, after the Israeli army issued evacuation orders from Gaza City. (AP)
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the agency and its partners will continue operating in Gaza City, rejecting the Israeli occupation’s military order aimed at forcibly displacing the population.
In a strongly worded statement, Tedros said, “WHO is appalled by the latest evacuation order, demanding that one million people move from Gaza City to a so-called ‘humanitarian zone’ in the south designated by Israel.”
.@WHO is appalled by the latest evacuation order, demanding that one million people move from Gaza City to a so-called “humanitarian zone” in the south designated by Israel.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) September 10, 2025
To civilians in Gaza: WHO and partners remain in Gaza City.
To the international community: Act.
This… pic.twitter.com/TkDtu8sHol
He warned that the area designated for displaced residents is wholly inadequate to meet basic needs. “The zone has neither the size nor scale of services to support those already there, let alone new arrivals,” he stressed.
Tedros also highlighted the critical role of medical facilities still functioning in the city. “Almost half the functional hospitals are in Gaza City,” he noted, underscoring the risks of abandoning the area.
Closing his statement, the WHO chief urged swift international action, calling for an immediate ceasefire and greater protection for medical staff, humanitarian workers, and civilians in the war-torn territory.
Gaza gov warns of forced displacement as 1.2 million remain in north
In a similar vein, the Government Media Office in Gaza announced on Tuesday that more than 1.2 million Palestinians remain in Gaza City and the northern parts of the Strip, firmly refusing to leave despite ongoing bombardment and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
It warned that the Israeli occupation is attempting to impose a policy of forced displacement in violation of international law, calling for urgent international intervention.
According to the statement, Gaza City and northern Gaza together are home to over 1.3 million people, including around 398,000 in North Gaza governorate, most of whom are currently displaced to the western parts of the city, and more than 914,000 in Gaza governorate, where some 300,000 have been forced from eastern neighborhoods toward western and central areas.
The office noted the emergence of “reverse displacement,” reporting that more than 12,000 residents have returned to their original homes in Gaza and the north as of last Sunday, despite the fact that some 35,000 people had previously been forced to move south under heavy bombardment. This, it said, reflects both the severity of the suffering and the lack of basic living conditions in the southern areas.
It highlighted that the al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis and Rafah, promoted by the Israeli occupation as a “safe zone”, currently hosts nearly 800,000 people but has been targeted by 109 airstrikes, killing more than 2,000 Palestinians. The area, the statement added, lacks essential services including hospitals, infrastructure, electricity, water, food, and shelter.
It is worth noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lately addressed Palestinians in Gaza City, urging them to “leave now” as occupation forces prepare for what he described as a large-scale ground “maneuver.”
“I say to the residents of Gaza, I take this opportunity and listen to me carefully: you have been warned — leave now!” he declared, boasting that the Israeli military had already destroyed 50 towers in two days, which he said was only the beginning of a broader assault.
