Thousands of Palestinians evacuated their homes in the southern Gaza Strip as Israeli forces intensified their bombardment on Tuesday. This escalation is seen as part of Israel’s final push in their nine-month-long military campaign.
Health officials reported eight Palestinian fatalities and numerous injuries. The Israeli military also confirmed the deaths of two soldiers in recent combat.
Israeli leadership indicated a transition from broad, intense military engagements against Hamas, the ruling group in Gaza since 2007, to more focused operations.
In Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, 17 Palestinians were killed by Israeli tank shelling, according to medical sources.
On Monday, the Israeli Army had issued evacuation orders for several towns in eastern Khan Younis, preceding a tank incursion into previously vacated areas. Overnight, residents of Karara, Abassan, and other locales evacuated under the cover of darkness as Israeli forces commenced bombing.
“Where will we go?” lamented Tamer, a 55-year-old businessman displaced six times since October 7. “Every time we start rebuilding, the tanks return to destroy what’s left,” he said.
The Israeli military claimed strikes on Khan Younis were in response to rocket fire from the area. Targets included weapon storage and operational centres, with measures taken to minimise civilian casualties through pre-strike evacuation orders. The military accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields, a claim Hamas denies.
Islamic Jihad, aligned with Hamas, claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks.
Rafah and the Broader Conflict
The conflict erupted on October 7 when Hamas militants entered southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli reports.
In retaliation, Israel’s offensive has resulted in nearly 38,000 deaths, based on Gaza health ministry figures, and devastated the densely populated coastal enclave. While the health ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, it asserts most casualties are non-combatants. Israel reports 320 soldiers killed and claims that a third of the Palestinian casualties are fighters.
The evacuation orders included the European Gaza Hospital, leading to the relocation of patients and families. Many residents moved west towards the overcrowded Mawasi area, designated as a humanitarian zone.
Israel’s operations in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, are purportedly nearing completion, aiming to eliminate Hamas’s remaining stronghold. Post-intense conflict, Israeli forces plan to conduct smaller-scale operations to prevent Hamas from regrouping.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel is close to neutralising Hamas’s military capabilities, though less intense operations will continue. Despite ongoing hostilities, including rocket fire from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, efforts for a ceasefire and hostage negotiations remain stalled. Hamas demands a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza for a ceasefire, while Israel insists on only temporary pauses until Hamas is fully eradicated.
