Thousands of Palestinians flee from Khan Younis as Israeli bombardment intensifies in southern Gaza

Middle East, News July 3, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing their homes in Gaza’s Khan Younis area as Israeli forces intensify bombardments with bombs and artillery fire. Earlier this week, Israel issued a new evacuation order for the embattled southern city.

The latest Israeli strikes on July 2, 2024, killed at least eight people and wounded more than 30 in several neighborhoods of Khan Younis, escalating an already dire humanitarian crisis in the region. The wave of attacks, coming just weeks after Israeli tanks had withdrawn from the area, caused widespread panic among 250,000 residents, many of whom have already been displaced multiple times since the conflict began.

Sam Rose, planning director at the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), described the situation as “horrific” and “incredibly difficult to get your head around.”

The strikes on Khan Younis follow the Israeli military’s orders for residents of several towns and villages in eastern Khan Younis to evacuate their homes. As Israeli tanks entered the area and started bombing the targets, thousands fled their homes in the dark, overnight. Residents and local media reported that Israeli tanks and planes bombed Karara, Abassan, and other areas specified in the evacuation orders.

The Israeli military stated that its forces targeted areas in Khan Younis from where around 20 rockets had been fired on Monday, including weapon storage facilities and operational centers. Measures were taken before the strikes to ensure civilians could evacuate, according to the military, which accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure and the wider population as human shields. Islamic Jihad, an allied group of Hamas, claimed responsibility for firing the rockets.

^{Palestinians walk among the rubble of damaged buildings, which were destroyed during Israel’s military offensive in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, on June 12, 2024. (Image Credit: Reuters/Mahmoud Issa)}

Humanitarian concerns

Within the newly ordered evacuation zones lies the European Gaza Hospital, which serves both Khan Younis and Rafah. Medical officials had to evacuate patients and families who had sought refuge in the facility. Many residents headed west towards the Mawasi area by the beach, a designated humanitarian area, but it was already overcrowded with displaced families. Some had no choice but to sleep in the streets as they could not find shelter.

The relentless conflict continues to devastate the region, with no clear resolution in sight and a massive humanitarian toll on the civilian population. As both sides remain entrenched in their positions, the suffering of the people in Gaza, especially in the most heavily bombarded areas like Khan Younis, shows no sign of abating.

Rafah military operation

The war in Gaza, which began when Hamas burst into southern Israel on October 7, has resulted in the deaths of more than 38,000 people. Israel, which has lost 320 soldiers in Gaza, asserts that at least a third of the Palestinian dead are fighters.

Israel’s military operation in Rafah, located in southern Gaza near the border with Egypt, is reportedly nearing its conclusion, aiming to stamp out Hamas in its final redoubt. Once this intense phase of the war concludes, Israeli forces will shift focus to smaller-scale operations to prevent Hamas from regrouping, Israeli military officials say.

An Israeli tank maneuvers, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. — *^{An Israeli tank maneuvers, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza Border, in southern Israel. (Image Credit: Reuters/Amir Cohen)}*

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel was nearing its goal of “destroying Hamas’s military capabilities” but indicated that less intense operations would continue.

Hamas maintains that Israel has failed to achieve its war goals and declares its readiness to fight for years. Efforts to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza have stalled, with Hamas insisting that any deal must end the war and lead to a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israel, on the other hand, is only willing to consider temporary pauses in the fighting until Hamas is eradicated.