Israel orders Khan Younis evacuation forward of ‘unprecedented assault’

The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) has ordered residents of Khan Younis to evacuate because it prepares to launch an “unprecedented assault”.

Individuals had been ordered to maneuver in the 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 “shall be thought-about a harmful fight zone”, including: “Terrorist organizations have introduced you catastrophe. To your security, evacuate instantly.”

The IDF launched a serious new Gaza offensive on Friday named Operation Gideon’s Chariots. Hospitals have mentioned greater than 100 folks have been killed within the final 24 hours.

One lady 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 trying to find meals and that they had been pressured to depart with out him.

“Please God, let the warfare 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 can we do?”

“There is no such thing as 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 lady, who’s already residing below an evacuation order in central Gaza, mentioned she wouldn’t transfer “as a result of there is no such thing as a place to go”.

The IDF mentioned the purpose of its assault 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 huge preventing – intense and substantial – and there may be progress.

“We’re going to take management of all areas of the Strip, that is what we’ll do.”

The IDF mentioned it had struck 160 targets throughout Gaza within the final 24 hours, together with anti-tank positions, underground infrastructure and a weapons storage level.

One of many strikes killed seven at a college housing displaced households in Nuseirat, central Gaza, and three in a home in close by Deir Al-Balah, the territory’s Hamas-run well being authority mentioned.

In a single day, a warehouse containing medical provides on the Nasser Hospital was hit by an Israeli strike, native Hamas-run well being authorities reported.

British charity Medical Assist for Palestinians mentioned the strike occurred “as Palestinians who had been killed and wounded from different assaults had been being delivered to 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 girls’s clothes had entered a Khan Younis house undercover and killed one man on Monday morning, earlier than arresting his spouse and youngster.

Israeli media named him as Ahmad Sarhan, and reported he was a senior member of the army wing of the Common Resistance Committees – a Palestinian militant group allied with Hamas.

The IDF has beforehand mentioned the expanded Gaza operations are geared toward “reaching all of the warfare’s goals”, together with releasing hostages and “the defeat of Hamas”.

However a bunch 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 will permit a “fundamental quantity of meals” to enter Gaza to make sure that “no hunger disaster develops” after blockading the territory for 11 weeks.

Netanyahu mentioned the choice to permit a “minimal” quantity of meals into Gaza adopted stress from allies within the US Senate.

“We should not attain a state of affairs of famine, each from a sensible and a diplomatic standpoint,” he harassed in a video responding to criticism inside Israel of the humanitarian state of affairs.

The warfare 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