Israel’s 24-hour deadline for 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to relocate to the south is “utterly unrealistic,” the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell has said.

While acknowledging that Israel has given civilians a warning about incoming military operations, he said, such warnings should be realistic.

"This is utterly unrealistic that 1 million people can move in 24 hours," he said at a news conference in Beijing, adding that any warnings have "to be realistic in order to avoid devastating humanitarian consequences."

While the European Union’s position is “Israel has the right to defend itself" in the wake of aggression, "it has to be done in line with international humanitarian law,” Borrell said.

He discouraged attacks against civilians, and expressed concern about the "deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, in particular due to the shortage of medical supplies, food and electricity.”

“Creating a blockage of water, food, fuel and medical supplies, is not in accordance with international law,” he said.

/CNN