Israeli army orders new evacuations in Khan Younis

Occupied Palestinian Territories — AFP

The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for residents of southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis city on Saturday, after warning of new operations.

The United Nations said more than 180,000 Palestinians have already fled fierce fighting in Khan Yunis since the military began an operation in the area last Monday.

The evacuation orders and “intensified hostilities” have “significantly destabilized aid operations”, the UN said, reporting “dire water, hygiene and sanitation conditions” in the Palestinian territory.

After Israel warned its forces would “forcefully operate” in the Khan Yunis region, including an area previously declared a safe humanitarian zone, the health ministry in Gaza said on Monday that an Israeli operation in Khan Yunis killed 70 people and wounded more than 200.

On Saturday, it ordered residents from more parts of Khan Yunis “to temporarily evacuate to the adjusted humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi” — the second such adjustment made to the safe zone within a week.

Witnesses and rescuers said heavy battles continued around eastern Khan Yunis on Friday, and medics at the city’s Nasser Hospital reported at least 16 bodies brought to the facility from different parts of the southern governorate.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 39,175 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry. According to The Lancet Journal’s study of July 10, 2024, the actual civilian deaths including those buried under the rubble and those dying of infectious diseases and malnutrition could most likely be more than 186,000 — which is 8% of Gaza’s total population.