'Dangerous false narrative': Unicef spokesperson dismisses claims of 'safe zones' in Gaza

The so-called "safe zones" that the Israeli army claims exist in southern Gaza are a "dangerous false narrative", according to Unicef spokesperson James Elder. 

Speaking to the BBC, Elder, who is currently in Gaza, said the areas Israel had asked Palestinians to evacuate to are "patches of barren land" that have "no water, no facilities, no shelter from the cold, no sanitation". 

Elder also said that Israeli-made maps with QR codes purportedly showing these "safe areas" won't be accessible to many people due to internet and power outages.   

"If you are going to forcibly evacuate people, you cannot send hundreds of thousands of people to places where there is no water and no toilets. I genuinely mean no toilets. Every corner I had turned to, there were another 5,000 people who would appear overnight. They don’t have a single toilet, they don’t have a drop of water," Elder told the BBC.

"The only safety in Gaza now is for hell to stop raining down from the sky," he added.