The United Nations said early on Friday that it had been told by the Israeli military that some 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza should relocate to the south of the territory within the next 24 hours. "The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. 

Israel has cut off electricity, water and fuel supplies to Gaza, which gets two-thirds of its electricity from Israel. This has left the local Al Shifa Hospital as the only source of drinking water, food and electricity for the residents of Khan Younis in Gaza. Local resident Ahmed Abu Radwan says: "No one knows what will happen in three days; the water tankers are running low on petrol, the hospitals are running low on spare water and the situation will only get worse."