It did not give the nationality of the foreigners. There has been no confirmation from Israel.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s military told some 1 million Palestinians living in Gaza on Friday to evacuate the north, according to the United Nations, an unprecedented order for almost half the population of the sealed-off territory ahead of an expected ground invasion against the ruling Hamas militant group.
The U.N. warned that so many people fleeing en masse would be calamitous, and Hamas, which staged a shocking and brutal attack on Israel this week, dismissed it as a ploy and called on people to stay in their homes, adding to the widespread panic.
The evacuation order, which includes Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, sparked confusion among civilians and aid workers already running from Israeli airstrikes and contending with a total siege and a territory-wide power blackout.
“Forget about food, forget about electricity, forget about fuel. The only concern now is just if you’ll make it, if you’re going to live,” said Nebal Farsakh, a spokeswoman for the Palestinian Red Crescent in Gaza City, breaking into heaving sobs.
The week-old war has already claimed over 2,800 lives on both sides and sent tensions soaring across the region. Weekly Muslim prayers later Friday could bring mass protests at a flashpoint holy site in east Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and elsewhere. Israel has traded fire in recent days with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, sparking fears of an ever wider conflict, though that frontier is currently calm.
The Israeli military sent one evacuation order directly Friday morning, warning the residents of Gaza City to flee south in the narrow coastal territory, which is just 40 kilometers (25 miles) long. Israel said it needed to target Hamas’ military infrastructure, much of which is buried deep underground.
Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said the military will use “significant force” while making “extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians.”
The United Nations said it received a separate directive from the military, giving all 1.1 million civilians of northern Gaza 24 hours to flee south. The Israeli military did not immediately confirm the broader evacuation order.
“The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. “The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded, avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation.”