Israel’s order for Palestinians to evacuate from eastern Rafah in Gaza is “inhumane”, the UN rights chief said, warning that suffering and destruction would soar beyond already “unbearable” levels, AFP reports.

Volker Turk said forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee to areas with almost no access to aid for survival was “inconceivable”.

“Gazans continue to be hit with bombs, disease, and even famine,” the United Nations’ high commissioner for human rights said in a statement.

“And today, they have been told that they must relocate yet again as Israeli military operations into Rafah scale up.

“This is inhumane. It runs contrary to the basic principles of international humanitarian and human rights laws, which have the effective protection of civilians as their overriding concern.”

“Forcibly relocating hundreds of thousands from Rafah to areas which have already been flattened and where there is little shelter and virtually no access to humanitarian assistance necessary for their survival is inconceivable. It will only expose them to more danger and misery,” said Turk.