UNITED NATIONS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the impact of Israel's order for tens of thousands of Gazans to evacuate 117 square kilometers in Khan Younis and Rafah governorates.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that over the last nine months, many of the Gazans affected by the latest evacuation order have repeatedly been displaced. Monday's order, covering about one-third of the Gaza Strip, is the most significant since the October order to evacuate northern Gaza.

OCHA said an evacuation of such a massive scale only heightens civilians' suffering and drives humanitarian needs even higher.

"People are left with the impossible choice of having to relocate, some most likely for the second or third time, to areas that have barely any spaces or services, or staying in areas where they know heavy fighting will take place," the humanitarians said.

Initial estimates by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, indicate that nearly 250,000 people may have resided in the areas subject to evacuation at the time of the order. The new evacuation order affects more than 90 schools, many of which host displaced people, as well as four medical points and the European Gaza Hospital area.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that on Monday, 70 patients and medical staff reportedly self-evacuated, and more patients evacuated on Tuesday. WHO's representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Rik Peeperkorn, said only three patients remained at the European Gaza hospital and three at the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital.

Peeperkorn reported that the WHO supported the transfer of valuable medical equipment and supplies out of the hospital, one of the few remaining critical referral hospitals in the south of Gaza, OCHA said. However, on Tuesday, Israeli authorities said the order does not apply to patients or staff at the hospital.

The humanitarian office reiterated that all parties must always respect international humanitarian law. "This means that civilians must be protected, and their essential needs -- including food, shelter, water and health -- must be met, wherever they are in Gaza." Enditem

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