Israeli army ejects Palestinians from 'humanitarian area' in Khan Younis
The Israeli military ordered new mass evacuations of southern areas in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, previously designated as humanitarian zones.
The army said on Saturday that areas south of the city had become “dangerous” due to “numerous acts of terrorism and the firing of anti-aircraft missiles".
“At this time the space will be adjusted,” the army said, in messages that were sent through SMS, phone calls, recorded audio messages, and Arabic-language media broadcasts.
Medical sources told Al Jazeera that Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital had received 14 bodies since Saturday morning.
Israel said its actions were based on “intelligence information” that Hamas had “terrorist infrastructure in an area defined as a humanitarian area”.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
The order comes days after Israel had ordered the evacuation of Khan Younis’s eastern neighbourhood, which also used to be a designated humanitarian zone.
Scores of Palestinians were killed in the assault and over 180,000 were displaced.
The army says it will “act strongly” against Palestinian armed groups, and told Palestinians to move to the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, also in southern Gaza.
Al-Mawasi was the site of a recent Israeli attack on 13 July, in which over 90 Palestinians were killed.
Palestinians have long said that no areas are safe in Gaza and that Israeli forces have frequently targeted them in humanitarian zones.
Over 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October, according to the enclave’s health ministry.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
