On Monday, Israel’s defense forces issued a renewed call for mass evacuations in the southern region of Khan Younis. This area has become a temporary haven for a significant number of Palestinians displaced in recent weeks. The call comes as Israel intensifies its military operations across the Gaza Strip, expanding its ground offensive.
This escalation follows the breakdown of a weeklong cease-fire and is focused on targeting the leadership of Hamas in Gaza. The conflict, sparked by a Hamas incursion into Israel on October 7, has been marked by severe casualties and extensive displacement. To date, thousands of Palestinians have been killed, and nearly three-quarters of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, with dwindling options for safe refuge.
Amid increasing pressure from the United States, Israel’s strongest ally, the Israeli military is intensifying efforts to neutralize Hamas. This urgency is partly driven by Hamas’s entrenched position within Palestinian society. However, the rising civilian death toll since the cease-fire’s end last Friday is likely to escalate international calls for renewed peace negotiations and could further devastate large areas of Gaza.
The ground offensive has already left vast regions in northern Gaza, including significant parts of Gaza City, in ruins. Hundreds of thousands have fled to the southern regions, which now also face potential destruction. Both Israel and Egypt have closed their borders to refugees from these areas.
In Khan Younis, residents reported hearing overnight airstrikes and explosions following the Israeli military’s leaflet drop, instructing people to evacuate to areas closer to the Egyptian border. The military issued additional warnings about the dangers of the main highway running from Khan Younis to Deir al-Balah, indicating an advancement of Israeli troops towards Khan Younis from the northeast.
Al-Jazeera broadcast footage showing the aftermath of an apparent strike on a vehicle on this highway, with an Israeli tank visible nearby.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israeli military, stated that the forces are exerting “maximum force” against Hamas in both the north and south of Gaza, emphasizing efforts to minimize civilian casualties. He also shared a map detailing evacuation instructions for southern Gaza.
Despite these warnings, many Palestinians have chosen to ignore evacuation orders. They express skepticism about the safety of the recommended areas, which have also been subject to bombing. The military has barred those fleeing from the north from returning, even during the cease-fire.
The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, reports a death toll exceeding 15,500, with over 41,000 injured since October 7. The Ministry does not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties but notes that a significant proportion of the fatalities are women and children.
Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra stated that the majority of the casualties since the end of the cease-fire are still trapped under rubble. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah reported receiving 32 bodies overnight following Israeli strikes across central Gaza.
The Israeli military reported that its aircraft targeted about 200 Hamas sites overnight, with ground operations proceeding in parallel. They uncovered a militant hideout in a school in northern Gaza, which contained tunnel shafts and explosives.
While Israel asserts its focus on Hamas targets and takes measures to protect civilians, the distinction is often blurred in the densely populated residential areas of Gaza.
Vice President Kamala Harris, during a recent visit to the region, emphasized the U.S. stance against mass displacement and civilian casualties, as well as opposing forced relocation of Palestinians or alterations to Gaza’s borders. The Biden administration’s influence in moderating Israel’s offensive, however, remains uncertain amid growing congressional pressure.
The U.S. has maintained strong support for Israel since the October 7 attack, including expedited aid and munitions. Israel, however, has dismissed U.S. suggestions to transfer control of postwar Gaza to the Palestinian Authority as part of a broader peace resolution.
Efforts for another temporary truce have diminished following Israel’s withdrawal of its negotiators over the weekend. Hamas insists that discussions on releasing hostages captured during the October 7 attack must be linked to a permanent cease-fire. The previous truce facilitated the release of numerous hostages and prisoners from both sides, primarily women and children.
