Israel’s military issued an order on Saturday for the evacuation of a densely populated area in Gaza designated as a humanitarian zone. The order stated that an operation targeting Hamas militants in Khan Younis, including parts of Muwasi, a makeshift tent camp sheltering thousands of refugees, was imminent. This comes as a response to rocket fire originating from the area, according to Israel. This marks the second evacuation issued in a week for Palestinians fleeing other parts of Gaza, highlighting the dire circumstances they face in their search for safety during Israel’s ongoing military operation.
Following the evacuation order, multiple Israeli airstrikes were launched around Khan Younis on Monday. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, these strikes resulted in at least 70 casualties, citing figures from Nasser Hospital. This area, which includes Muwasi, is part of a designated 60-square-kilometer (roughly 20-square-mile) “humanitarian zone” that Israel has been urging Palestinians to flee to throughout the ongoing conflict. However, this area is largely comprised of makeshift tent camps lacking sanitation, medical facilities, and adequate access to aid, as reported by the United Nations and humanitarian groups. Israel estimates that approximately 1.8 million Palestinians are currently seeking refuge in this zone, representing more than half of Gaza’s pre-war population of 2.3 million.
The war in Gaza has resulted in the tragic loss of over 39,100 Palestinian lives, as reported by the territory’s Health Ministry. It’s important to note that this figure doesn’t differentiate between combatants and civilians. The United Nations estimated in February that the number of unaccompanied children in Gaza had reached 17,000, a number that is likely to have increased since. The current conflict began on October 7th with an assault launched by Hamas militants on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians. The attack also led to the abduction of approximately 250 hostages, with around 115 still held in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. Israeli authorities believe that about a third of the hostages are likely deceased.
