UN fears 'mass displacement' of Palestinians surging into Egypt as war in southern Gaza intensifies

UN fears 'mass displacement' of Palestinians surging into Egypt as war in southern Gaza intensifies

United Nations officials have raised fears of a potential mass exodus of Palestinians fleeing from southern Gaza into Egypt as Israel's war against Hamas intensifies in the region.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he expects order in Gaza to "completely break down" in the near future. Egypt and all other nearby Arab countries have so far refused to accept any refugees from Gaza.

"I expect public order to completely break down soon and an even worse situation could unfold including epidemic diseases and increased pressure for mass displacement into Egypt," U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday.

Since October 7, most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been forced out of their homes and huge swaths of Gaza's major cities have been reduced to rubble.

While Israel has allowed some aid to continue flowing into Gaza, humanitarian groups say it has not been enough, fueling a potential rush toward the Egyptian border.