JERUSALEM – Israel said Monday that it does not intend to permanently force Palestinian civilians to leave their homes, even as it acknowledged that conditions in the besieged Gaza Strip are “harsh.”

Any suggestion of Palestinian dispersal is highly controversial in the Arab world, as the war that led to the creation of Israel 75 years ago led to the exodus or forced relocation of 760,000 Palestinians, an event known as the Nakba, or “catastrophe.”

Israel declared war on Hamas, which rules Gaza, after brutal attacks on Israel on October 7 that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

With the Health Ministry reporting a death toll of more than 15,500 in the Palestinian territory, the impact of Israel’s relentless bombardment and ground offensive has sparked growing international concern.

Israel has expanded its offensive in Gaza since the collapse of a ceasefire last week that allowed the release of dozens of Israeli and other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

In its latest estimate, OCHA said around 1.8 million people in Gaza, about 75 percent of the population, were displaced, many in overcrowded and unsanitary shelters.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said: “We are not trying to expel anyone, we are not trying to permanently expel anyone from anywhere.”

“We have asked civilians to evacuate the battlefield and we have established a designated humanitarian zone within the Gaza Strip,” he said, referring to a tiny coastal section of the territory called Al-Mawasi, as he acknowledged that the situation in Gaza is “difficult”.

“We are fully aware that space and access are limited, and that is why it is so important to get the consent and support of international humanitarian organizations to help with infrastructure in the Al-Mawasi area,” added he added.

“NOT A SAFE PLACE”

As Israel expanded its operations, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed concern over the weekend that hundreds of thousands of Gazans were being detained “in ever smaller areas” in the territory’s south.

“There is no safe place in Gaza,” he said.

At the start of the war, Israel’s neighbor and treaty partner Jordan expressed concern that the violence could trigger a wave of displacement that spilled over into its borders.

Likewise, Egypt – which shares a border with Gaza and has also signed a peace agreement with Israel – has rejected the idea of ​​a mass movement of Palestinians into its territory.

“We didn’t try to evacuate people there,” said Conricus, referring to Egypt.

“Egypt has made it very clear where it stands: they don’t want that.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “people should be able to stay in their homeland of Gaza.”