Israel stops recognising 'protected' zones for civilians in Gaza

Israel has quietly stopped designating areas in Gaza as humanitarian zones since it resumed its strikes on the Palestinian territory last month.

- Bethan McKernan and Hannah Ellis-Petersen

The move has heightened fears among aid workers for the safety of civilians sheltering in places previously deemed protected.

A small strip of land in southern Gaza was assigned by Israel in December 2023, two months after the start of the war, as a "humanitarian zone" where civilians were told they could safely gather. The area was expanded in May to cover a larger area in southwest Gaza, including the cities of Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah and the town of Mawasi.

Up to January, the humanitarian zone had been marked on maps that were posted online and dropped from the air by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). More than a million people had flocked to these areas as a result.

The humanitarian zones had not been entirely protected. Official figures showed they were hit by at least 28 Israeli strikes before January and an investigation by the BBC put the number as high as 97, with 550 people killed.

The IDF accused Hamas of using the zones as protection and to launch attacks on Israeli troops.