Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is criticizing Israel for ordering people to leave the northern part of Gaza, calling it "ethnic cleansing."
"The mass expulsion of over 1 million people in a day is ethnic cleansing," Omar said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
"[M]any Palestinians are already wounded, displaced and/or caring for a sick or injured relative, child or senior. They can’t simply pick up and leave," Omar added. "With communications and electricity shut down by Israel, the order cannot be communicated. Roads are bombed and many cars are out of fuel, making fleeing impossible for many."
The United Nations has warned of a potential humanitarian disaster in Gaza, home to more than 2 million people.
Hamas, recognized as a terrorist group by the U.S. government, controls Gaza. On Saturday, it launched a bloody attack on Israeli towns and military outposts near Gaza that left more than 1,000 dead. Gunman targeted civilians in the attacks and also took hostages back to Gaza.
Israel in response has launched a furious air assault on Gaza that has killed more than 1,000. It has also signaled that it is readying for a ground operation as leaders in the country call for the eradication of Hamas.
Israeli officials accuse Hamas of hiding behind civilians to launch attacks on their country.
"We call on all civilians in Gaza City to move south," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters Friday during a press conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. "We don't want to harm them. Whoever wants to save his life should go south. Hamas is camouflaging itself inside civilian population, and we are going to go in and dismantle its infrastructure."
Omar is one of only three Muslim members of Congress. She has repeatedly criticized Israeli policies for their treatment of Palestinians, sometimes courting controversy with her own party in the process.
