Deadly Israeli Attacks in Khan Younis Follow Evacuation Orders, Medics Report

The Israeli military has intensified its assault on Khan Younis, a southern city in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 70 individuals, according to medical sources. This escalation follows recent evacuation orders issued by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which instructed residents to leave several neighborhoods, including areas previously designated as humanitarian zones.

The Palestinian Civil Defence reported that the evacuation order impacted around 400,000 people seeking refuge in the city. This included the eastern part of Al-Mawasi, an area lacking infrastructure where many Palestinians had sought temporary shelter in tents over recent months.

The IDF claims that Hamas militants in Khan Younis and Al-Mawasi have been using these areas to launch rockets into Israel. In response, the military adjusted the boundaries of the humanitarian zone to distance civilians from combat zones.

Witnesses describe dire conditions as displaced residents, including families with children, found themselves without safe havens. Osama Qudeih shared with the Associated Press (AP), “We were displaced from the eastern regions. They called us to evacuate, so we took our children and left. There was no safe place left in the Gaza Strip… We wandered the streets, not knowing where to go.” Similarly, Kholoud al-Dadas, exhausted from multiple displacements, voiced her frustration and desperation, questioning the global community’s response to their plight.

Health officials in Gaza reported that many casualties were either buried under rubble or stranded on roadsides due to the inaccessibility of ambulances. Further casualties were reported from tank fire in Bani Suhaila and surrounding towns, with additional bombardments from the air.

The IDF, in a statement, did not confirm the death toll but stated that its airstrikes and tank operations targeted what they described as terrorist infrastructure in Khan Younis. The military claimed to have struck over 30 sites related to Hamas, including weapons storage facilities and observation posts.

The local Wafa news agency noted that heavy bombardments began after Israeli forces dropped leaflets instructing residents to evacuate. Smoke billowed over destroyed rooftops as a result of the attacks.

At Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, the medical staff is overwhelmed, with shortages of supplies and makeshift treatment areas. Mohammed Sakr, a hospital spokesman, described the dire conditions, stating, “We don’t have beds to place patients on… we are swimming in a pool of blood.”

Khan Younis has seen extensive destruction from previous conflicts, and the recent strikes have further devastated the city. Images show residents fleeing in various modes of transport, including cars and donkey carts, in a desperate bid to escape.

The situation in Gaza remains critical, with international and local organizations highlighting the absence of safe zones and ongoing attacks on areas designated for humanitarian relief. Earlier this month, an airstrike on Al-Mawasi resulted in at least 90 deaths and numerous injuries.

Since the onset of the Israeli campaign in Gaza on October 7 last year, following a Hamas attack on Israeli territory, over 39,000 people have been killed. The Palestinian health ministry reports more than 89,000 injuries due to continued Israeli assaults.

The head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, reported that Israeli forces targeted a UN convoy on Monday, causing significant damage but no casualties. He described the incident as a breach of international law.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi condemned the attack on Khan Younis as a war crime, calling Gaza “a graveyard for international law and a stain on the entire international order.”

Hamas has condemned the recent Israeli actions in Khan Younis through a statement on Telegram.