The southern Gaza city of Khan Younis has been subject to a new wave of attacks by Israel’s military forces, resulting in the deaths of approximately 70 individuals, as reported by medical personnel. Several neighbourhoods, some of which had previously been identified by the military as forming part of a humanitarian sector, were evacuated of Palestinians.
It has been approximated by the Palestinian civil defence in this area that 400,000 residents sheltering in this city were influenced by this evacuation order. Al-Mawasi’s eastern area, a resource-deprived, sandy land segment where Palestinians have taken refuge in temporary tented villages in recent times, was included in this directive.
Israel’s military argues that Hamas militants located in Khan Younis and sections of Al-Mawasi were employing this zone to fire rockets towards Israel. “We were forced to leave the eastern region, they told us to evacuate, we took our kids and left,” shared Osama Qudeih with the Associated Press (AP). “There are no safe locations left in the Gaza Strip. We left and wandered on the streets, unsure of our destination.”
Another woman, clearly exhausted, disclosed it to be her seventh or eighth instance of displacement. “We’re displaced every single day,” Kholoud al-Dadas expressed to AP while holding her children. “Where are all the countries, the world, the leaders, where are they? Come witness our situation, how our children are suffering, what we are going through.”
The Israeli military mentioned redefining the borders of the designated humanitarian region within Al-Mawasi in order to keep civilian populations distanced from battle zones.
Health officials from Gaza stated that those injured and killed were affected by attacks in and surrounding Khan Younis, speculating that more victims might still be underneath rubble or left on roadsides, due to ambulances being incapable of reaching them. It was also recorded by Gaza medical practitioners that the town of Bani Suhaila, along with other towns on Khan Younis’ eastern edge, had suffered casualties from tank onslaughts, confirmed also by Reuters that the same area was being bombarded from above.
Seeking a remark on the casualty count, Agence France-Presse did not receive a response from Israel’s military, though in a formal statement, the military did confirm that the area had been struck by its fighter jets and tanks in an effort to counteract terrorists.
According to reports, over 30 sites associated with “terrorist activities” have been targeted within Khan Younis by the military forces. Israeli combat planes participated by focusing on a storage facility for weapons, observation spots, tunnel openings, and buildings utilised by the militant group, Hamas.
Following a leaflet drop in which Israeli forces urged residents to evacuate, it was reported that a swift and brutal bombardment ensued. Destroyed areas of the city were visibly covered in rising smoke.
A surge of injured individuals sought treatment at Khan Younis’ Nasser hospital, eliciting the facility’s plea for blood donations. Mohammed Sakr, the hospital’s representative, revealed to Al Jazeera how they’re struggling to cope with the substantial number of cases whilst facing a shortage of supplies. He described the situation as being overwhelmed with casualties, lacking even sufficient bed spaces.
Prior to Monday’s attacks, Khan Younis had already suffered major devastation due to intense confrontations. However, individuals who’d been displaced from other Gaza regions congregated in the eastern part of the city, seeking refuge in makeshift tents. Images depicted residents of Khan Younis fleeing by car or donkey carts — any available means.
The UN, Palestinians living in the region, and several international aid agencies have expressed concern about the absence of secure locations within Gaza. They have emphasised that even places marked as humanitarian safe zones continue to face attacks.
Records indicate that since 7th October last year, when Israeli soil was attacked by Hamas militants resulting in 1,200 deaths and roughly 250 hostages, Israel’s subsequent Gaza rampage has taken a toll of more than 39,000 lives.
Philippe Lazzarini, leading the UN refugee agency for Palestinians (Unrwa), informed about an incident where Israeli forces opened fire on a UN convoy heading towards Gaza City on Monday.
In response, Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, denounced Lazzarini’s account of the attack, labelling it a war crime. He articulated his concerns stating “Gaza has been transformed into not just a burial ground for children but also for international law. It is a disgraceful blot on the global order”.
Hamas, in a Telegram message, officially condemned the onslaught against Khan Younis.