The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) restated evacuation orders urging residents of Northern Gaza to flee to the South to allow for military operations in the area on Sunday. The IDF gave a two-hour window within which Israeli military would refrain from conducting any operations in the Salah Al-Din route to allow for evacuation to the South.

The IDF previously issued similar warnings, which were condemned by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO said hospitals in Southern Gaza do not have the capacity to receive patients from hospitals in the North and that the orders were a death sentence to patients and health workers. They emphasized that access to medical care is a human right in international law and urged the Israeli government to reverse the evacuation orders.

The IDF has blamed Hamas for frustrating the evacuation process, releasing a phone call with a Gaza resident trying to flee who was being prevented from evacuating by Hamas.

Since Hamas’s October 7 attack and Israel’s subsequent siege of Gaza, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been speaking with a number of world leaders, including a phone call to China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Blinken reiterated the US’s support for Israel in the fight against Hamas and urged China to join in the efforts towards peace and stability.

Mr. Wang Yi had earlier commented that China condemned the actions of Hamas, called for restraint and deescalation, and said China supports “realizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.” He also stressed the need to jumpstart genuine talks between Israel and Palestine to achieve peace.