The UN criticized the evacuation notice for Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, which was issued earlier by the IDF spokesperson. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that the evacuation "represents another devastating blow to the fragile lives of people living throughout the Gaza Strip." It further claimed: "The area of Gaza under Israeli evacuation orders has increased to 87.8%. The new order will restrict the ability of the UN and its partners to move safely and efficiently within Gaza, and will effectively strangle humanitarian access precisely when it is most needed."