Israel orders mass evacuation of Khan Younis
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued an urgent evacuation order for residents of Khan Younis, including Bani Suhaila and Abasan, ahead of what it calls an “unprecedented attack” under Operation Gideon’s Chariots.
The IDF directed civilians to relocate to al-Mawasi in western Gaza, declaring Khan Younis a “dangerous combat zone” in an Arabic statement by spokesperson Avichay Adraee.
The order, one of the largest in recent months, follows intensified Israeli strikes that killed over 100 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
The IDF launched the operation on Saturday, targeting what it claims are “terrorist organizations” in the region.
On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “take control of all areas of the Strip,” signaling a sweeping escalation. The IDF reported striking 160 targets across Gaza in the last 24 hours, including a medical supply warehouse at Nasser Hospital, which Medical Aid for Palestinians said was hit as casualties arrived.
Palestinian media also reported that Israeli special forces, disguised in women’s clothing, killed Ahmad Sarhan, a senior member of the Popular Resistance Committees, in Khan Younis on Monday, arresting his wife and child.
Evacuees described chaos and despair. Tasneem Barakeh, 13, fled without her father, who was foraging for food when the order came. “Please, just bring us my father,” she pleaded. Abdallah Abu Shab, another evacuee, said al-Mawasi lacks tents and transportation, leaving families stranded.
A woman under an existing evacuation order in central Gaza refused to move, stating, “There is no place to go.” Residents reported severe shortages, with many unable to afford transport.
The operation has raised alarms among hostage families. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum warned that intensified strikes endanger the 58 remaining hostages in Gaza, up to 23 believed alive, citing worsened treatment including abuse and starvation.
Israel’s 10-week blockade eased slightly on Sunday, allowing “basic” food supplies to prevent a starvation crisis.
The war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, has claimed over 53,000 Palestinian lives, per Gaza’s health ministry.
The IDF says its goal is to dismantle Hamas and secure hostage releases, but the latest offensive has deepened the humanitarian crisis, with no end in sight.
Source: BBC