The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) has ordered residents of Khan Younis to evacuate because it prepares to launch an “unprecedented assault”.
Folks had been ordered to maneuver in direction of al-Mawasi within the west of the strip, in one of many largest evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army in latest months.
An Arabic assertion shared by IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee mentioned the realm “will probably be thought-about a harmful fight zone”, including: “Terrorist organizations have introduced you catastrophe. In your security, evacuate instantly.”
The IDF launched a significant new Gaza offensive on Saturday named Operation Gideon’s Chariots. Hospitals have mentioned greater than 100 folks have been killed within the final 24 hours.
One girl from Khan Younis advised the BBC that the brand new evacuation order – which additionally covers the areas of Bani Suhaila and Abasan – was her “worst nightmare”.
Amongst those that fled was Tasneem Barakeh, 13, who mentioned the order was issued whereas her father was out looking for meals and that they had been pressured to depart with out him.
“Please God, let the battle cease. The place is my father?” she mentioned. “We do not know the place he’s. Please, simply convey us my father.”
Abdallah Abu Shab, who additionally fled, mentioned: “They advised us to go to Al-Mawasi, and right here we’re. What will we do?”
“There isn’t a tent for us there or something,” he mentioned, including “there’s no transportation and folks shouldn’t have cash to trip a cart”.
One other girl, who’s already dwelling underneath an evacuation order in central Gaza, mentioned she wouldn’t transfer “as a result of there isn’t a place to go”.
The IDF mentioned its intention was to “destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations on this space”.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned that Israel would “take management” of the entire of Gaza.
In a video posted on social media, he mentioned: “We’re engaged in large preventing – intense and substantial – and there’s progress.
“We’re going to take management of all areas of the Strip, that is what we will do.”
The IDF mentioned it had struck 160 targets throughout the strip within the final 24 hours.
A warehouse containing medical provides on the Nasser Hospital was hit by an Israeli strike in a single day, Gaza’s Hamas-run ministry of well being reported.
British charity Medical Support for Palestinians mentioned the strike occurred “as Palestinians who had been killed and wounded from different assaults had been being dropped at the hospital”.
“We’re simply seeing all our work being burned to ashes,” a spokesman for the charity mentioned.
Individually, Palestinian media reported that Israeli particular forces troops wearing ladies’s clothes had entered a Khan Younis house undercover and killed one man on Monday morning, earlier than arresting his spouse and baby.
Israeli media named him as Ahmad Sarhan, and reported he was a senior member of the army wing of the In style Resistance Committees – a Palestinian militant group aligned with Hamas.
The IDF has beforehand mentioned the expanded Gaza operations are geared toward “attaining all of the battle’s goals”, together with releasing hostages and “the defeat of Hamas”.
However a gaggle representing lots of the hostage’s households mentioned the operation posed “grave and escalating risks” to hostages nonetheless held in Gaza.
“Testimonies from launched hostages describe considerably worsened remedy following army strikes, together with bodily abuse, restraint and decreased meals,” the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board mentioned.
On Sunday, Israel introduced it could enable a “primary quantity of meals” to enter Gaza to make sure that “no hunger disaster develops” after blockading the territory for 10 weeks.
The battle was triggered by the Hamas-led assaults on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which noticed about 1,200 folks killed and 251 taken hostage.
Some 58 hostages stay in Gaza, as much as 23 of whom are believed to be alive.
Greater than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed throughout Israel’s army marketing campaign in Gaza.
Extra reporting by Malak Hassouneh
