Large groups of people are fleeing Gaza City, as per warnings from the Israeli army and a severe lack of humanitarian aid. Satellite imagery captured on Friday by Maxar Technologies reveals that crowds have gathered on the outskirts of the town. The group was observed along Salah al Deen Road, an evacuation route that runs from north to south throughout the Gaza Strip, and they appear to be heading south towards Al Musaddar.

The mass evacuation may be a response to the leaflets that were dropped over Gaza City by the Israeli army on Thursday, instructing people to evacuate the area. Similar leaflets were distributed across northern Gaza in the weeks leading up to the Israeli ground attack.

The situation in Gaza is dire, with over 2 million people at risk of starvation. A fuel shortage has caused a near-total communications blackout and is hindering humanitarian efforts as critical infrastructure suffers. U.N. agencies have issued statements, warning that Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants face an increased threat of disease as water desalination plants and sewage facilities cease operations. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees reports that approximately 70% of the population in Gaza is consuming contaminated water due to salinization. Moreover, the World Health Program reveals that since the start of the conflict on October 7th, only 10% of the necessary food supplies have entered Gaza.

The ongoing crisis in Gaza demands urgent attention and an immediate response from the international community. The safety and well-being of the civilian population must be prioritized, along with providing aid and support to alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis.