At the least 70 Palestinians have been killed and greater than 200 wounded in Israel’s latest assault on the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza as Palestinians fleeing Israeli tank shelling and air strikes have described the scenario as “doomsday”.
“As a result of Israeli occupation’s assaults and massacres in Khan Yunis governorate from the early hours of this morning till now, 70 folks have been martyred and greater than 200 wounded,” Gaza’s Ministry of Well being stated in a press release on Monday, including that the useless included ladies and youngsters.
Residents of the densely built-up space of southern Gaza stated the tanks superior for greater than 2km (1.2 miles) into Bani Suheila on the japanese fringe of Khan Younis, forcing residents to flee underneath hearth. Israel’s third assault on the southern metropolis started shortly after Palestinians had been ordered to depart the realm, which has been designated as “secure zone”, giving little time for folks to seek out security.
Palestinians had been killed by Israeli tank salvoes in Bani Suheila and different cities simply east of Khan Younis, and the realm was additionally bombarded by air, in line with medics.
“It’s like doomsday,” one resident who recognized himself solely as Abu Khaled advised the information company Reuters through a chat app. “Individuals are fleeing underneath hearth. Many are useless and wounded on the roads.”
The Nasser Medical Advanced in Khan Younis has been overwhelmed with sufferers, and the wounded are being handled on the ground. Medics on the medical facility stated the scenario was “uncontrolled”.
Palestinians displaced
Earlier on Monday, the Israeli navy ordered Palestinians in al-Mawasi, which is positioned alongside the Gaza coast between the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, to depart.
Israel justified its new operation there, saying Palestinian fighters have been utilizing the realm to launch assaults on Israeli forces. In a press release, it urged folks to relocate from japanese Khan Younis to the west of the “adjusted humanitarian space of al-Mawasi”.
Nevertheless, many Palestinians are hesitant to affix the swelling tent camps in al-Mawasi, declared a humanitarian zone in Could, after a current assault on the realm killed a minimum of 92 folks and wounded greater than 300, in line with figures from the Well being Ministry. That assault triggered international outrage.
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah in Central Gaza, stated the scenario is “deteriorating within the japanese areas of Khan Younis metropolis”, the place the inhabitants “has returned to stay within the remnants of their destroyed homes – and, once more, the navy has introduced that they’re beginning a brand new incursion”.
“However that occurred in a really brief time period, they usually began to bombard residential homes. Individuals had been inside. Later, the navy began to drop leaflets [to order an evacuation] within the japanese areas of Khan Younis,” he stated.
Some households fled on donkey carts and others on foot, carrying mattresses and different belongings.
Palestinians, the United Nations and worldwide aid companies have stated there isn’t any secure place left in Gaza.
Hospitals overwhelmed
The Palestinian Crimson Crescent Society stated two of its clinics positioned in japanese Khan Younis had been knocked out of operation due to the brand new Israeli offensive.
At Nasser Medical Advanced, some folks stood outdoors the morgue to bid farewell to useless relations.
“We’re drained. We’re drained in Gaza. On daily basis our youngsters are martyred – day by day, each second,” Ahmed Sammour, who misplaced a number of relations in bombings of japanese Khan Younis, advised Reuters.
“Nobody advised us to evacuate. They introduced 4 flooring crashing down on civilians, … and the our bodies they may attain, they dropped at the fridge [morgue],” Sammour added.
Hamas denounced the assault, stating that it could not deter Palestinians from remaining “steadfast of their land”.
“We name upon the worldwide group and the United Nations to urgently intervene to cease the systematic Zionist killing of our folks, who’re dealing with a genocide,” the group stated in a press release on its Telegram channel.
At the least 39,006 folks have been killed and 89,818 injured since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October.
The loss of life toll in Israel from Hamas-led assaults on October 7 is estimated at 1,139, and dozens of persons are nonetheless being held captive in Gaza.