Thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians have begun evacuating their areas in eastern Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip after new Israeli evacuation orders, according to witnesses.

The area was previously designated as a “safe zone” for civilians, but the Israeli army ordered residents to leave it ahead of a new military operation there.

Last week, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said that Israel has reduced the so-called "humanitarian zone" in Gaza to just 11% of the territory, causing widespread panic and fear among displaced people.

According to Gaza's government media office, two million people in Gaza have been displaced by Israel's ongoing offensive on the enclave.