GAZA STRIP: After the army once more gave the Palestinians orders to evacuate regions close to the beleaguered territory’s border with Egypt and Israel, Israeli forces launched lethal attacks on southern Gaza on Tuesday and engaged in combat with militants.
The main city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, from which Israeli forces retreated in early April following a bloody fight that lasted for months, was the target of heavy bombing and shelling, according to witnesses.
Eight people were killed and over thirty others were injured by shelling, according to a hospital source in the city.
Following a rocket barrage toward southern Israel that was claimed by the Islamic Jihad, a group that has fought alongside Hamas, there was a bombardment. The majority of the region east of Khan Yunis and Rafah, including the towns of Al Qarara and Bani Suhaila, were then ordered to be evacuated.
According to the UN humanitarian coordinator, 80% of the population is now displaced.
Ahmad Najjar, a resident of Bani Suhaila, claimed that “there is a large displacement of residents” and that the Israeli order has caused “fear and extreme anxiety.” A similar evacuation order for the Shujaiya neighborhood of Gaza City was issued last week, and there were fierce clashes for six straight days.
displacement of 1.9 meters
According to the UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, 1.9 million people, or 80% of the territory’s population, are currently displaced. She expressed her “deep concern” about reports of more evacuation orders for Khan Yunis on Tuesday.
According to UN estimates, the Israeli military’s order for civilians to evacuate Al Qarara, Bani Suhaila, and other areas close to Khan Yunis affected as many as 250,000 people.
“More than 1.9 million people are currently displaced throughout Gaza, and over a million people have been displaced once more as they scramble for safety and shelter. Sigrid Kaag addressed the UN Security Council, saying, “I’m extremely concerned about reports of new evacuation orders issued in the area of Khan Yunis.”
“The Palestinian civilian population in Gaza is living in abject misery. Their lives were turned upside down, their homes destroyed. Not alone has the war brought about the worst humanitarian catastrophes. It has caused a whirlwind of suffering for people,” Kaag continued.
She claimed that not enough aid was getting to the Gaza Strip and that in order to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, more crossings needed to be opened, especially to the southern section of Gaza.
Kaag begged the international world to contribute more to relief operations and stated that the Rafah crossing, which connects Gaza and Egypt, should be reopened. Although Israel has not said that it will launch a military campaign in southern Gaza, almost all evacuation orders issued thus far have signaled the start of significant combat.
‘Downshift’
Strikes reportedly struck the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where the Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed at least one death, a kid. The fighting in other parts of the Gaza Strip was unbearable.
Even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently stated that the “intense phase” of the campaign was coming to an end, months of intermittent negotiations towards a peace and prisoner release agreement have not produced any progress.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Monday, “We’ve heard the Israelis talk about a significant downshift in their operations in Gaza.”
