Amid a tense and rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East, the United Nations has said that Israel has ordered 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to leave.

The order, delivered to the U.N., comes as Israel presses an offensive against Hamas militants. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric called the order "impossible" without "devastating humanitarian consequences." This could signal an impending ground offensive, though the Israeli military has not yet confirmed such an appeal. On Thursday it said that while it was preparing, a decision has not yet been made.