The United Nations has issued a stark warning that “nowhere is safe” in Gaza amid stepped-up Israeli air raids in preparation for a widely expected ground offensive, AFP reports.

“When the evacuation routes are bombed, when people north as well as south are caught up in hostilities, when the essentials for survival are lacking, and when there are no assurances for return, people are left with nothing but impossible choices,” Lynne Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, said in a statement.

“Nowhere is safe in Gaza,” she added.

The statement highlighted that the “conduct of armed conflict, anywhere, is governed by international humanitarian law”.

This means that civilians must be protected and have the essentials to survive, wherever they are and whether they choose to move or stay. It also means that hostages — all hostages — must be released, immediately and unconditionally,“ Hastings asserted.