Israeli Forces Bombard Southern Gaza Where Palestinians Were Instructed To Escape
Despite repeated appeals from the United States and United Nations Israeli Forces continue their attack in southern Gaza causing dozens of Palestinian casualties.
Israeli forces continued their air and ground bombardment in the southern Gaza Strip, causing casualties among Palestinian civilians, despite repeated calls from the United States and the United Nations to protect them. The United States, Israel's closest ally, emphasised that the offensive should not result in a "massive" civilian death toll, as seen in the northern regions, according to a Reuters report. However, residents and journalists have reported intense Israeli airstrikes in densely populated coastal areas, including regions where Israel had instructed people to seek shelter.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to Israel to avoid actions that would worsen the already dire situation in Hamas-run Gaza and prevent harm to civilians.
"The Secretary-General is extremely alarmed by the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas... For people ordered to evacuate, there is nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said as per Reuters.
In November, Israel primarily seized control of the northern portion of Gaza, and after the breakdown of a week-long truce on Friday, they rapidly advanced into the southern half.
The armed wing of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad reported intense clashes between its fighters and Israeli soldiers north and east of Khan Younis, the primary southern city in Gaza.
Residents observed Israeli tanks crossing the border into Gaza and blocking the main north-south route. The Israeli military declared that the central road leading out of Khan Younis to the north is now deemed a battlefield and has been closed.
Philippe Lazzarini, who heads the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza (UNRWA), expressed concern that Israel's renewed military operation mirrors the distressing events of previous weeks. This includes displacing individuals who were already displaced, overwhelming hospitals with more patients, and exacerbating the strain on humanitarian efforts due to restricted supplies.
"The evacuation order pushes people to concentrate into what is less than one-third of the Gaza Strip. They need everything: food, water, shelter, and mostly safety. Roads to the south are clogged," Lazzarini said as per Reuters.
"We have said it repeatedly. We are saying it again. No place is safe in Gaza, whether in the south, or the southwest, whether in Rafah or in any unilaterally so-called 'safe zone', Lazzarini added"
Gazans Leave Khan Younis
In the past eight weeks of war, an alarming 80% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have fled their homes.
Israel issued directives on Monday for Palestinians in certain parts of Khan Younis to evacuate, advising them to relocate towards the Mediterranean coast or Rafah, a significant town close to the Egyptian border.
In response to this order, desperate residents of Khan Younis hastily gathered their belongings and started their journey, most on foot, towards Rafah in search of safety.
Israel initiated its offensive with the aim of eliminating Hamas in response to a cross-border attack on October 7 by Hamas gunmen targeting border towns, kibbutzim, and a music festival. According to Israeli reports, the militants caused the death of 1,200 people and captured 240 hostages, marking the deadliest single day in Israel's 75-year history.
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