The Israeli army has called on Palestinian civilians in part of the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip to leave the area immediately.
“Due to significant terrorist activity and rocket fire toward the State of Israel from the southern areas of Khan Younis, remaining in this area has become dangerous,” the military said.
The area to be evacuated is located in a zone previously designated as a humanitarian zone by Israel. The borders of this zone will be changed accordingly, the army statement said.
Those affected were told to leave in the direction of another nearby humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi.
The Israeli army call was issued via text messages, telephone voice messages and leaflets, it said.
Israel’s armed forces have been fighting militants from Islamist Hamas movement in Khan Younis for weeks as part of its attempt to eliminate the group. The Hamas forces are said to have regrouped in the city.
The Palestinian population is repeatedly caught in the crossfire during these battles. The frequent evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military often drive thousands of people to flee, some multiple times.
The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre of more than 1,200 people killed by terrorists from Hamas and other groups in southern Israel on October 7.
Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a major ground offensive, with Hamas authorities saying that about 39,000 – mostly civilians – have been killed since the conflict broke out.
Israel is being increasingly criticized internationally in view of the high number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
