The Israeli army on Thursday demanded that Palestinians evacuate large areas in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, in preparation for a military offensive.
“To everyone in the areas of Bani Suheila and the neighborhoods: Sheikh Nasser, Barbakh, Al-Satar, Ma’an, the city center, al-Mahattah, and al-Kateebah, for your safety, evacuate immediately and move to the humanitarian area,” Avichay Adraee, the army spokesperson, said on X.
After the order was issued, thousands of Palestinians in Khan Younis were forced to embark on a new journey of displacement, walking on foot, carrying small bags on their backs and some essential items like blankets, mattresses, and a little food, according to an Anadolu correspondent.
Witnesses told Anadolu that the displaced Palestinians face significant difficulties in transporting the sick and the elderly.
Furthermore, most of the so-called “safe humanitarian zones” lack infrastructure and do not have access to water or service facilities, as these areas are uninhabited, making them fertile ground for the spread of diseases and epidemics, they added.
Thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians on Wednesday began evacuating their areas in eastern Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip after new Israeli evacuation orders, according to witnesses.
Last Friday, the Israeli army issued the latest evacuation orders for large areas north of Khan Younis, threatening to start a “military operation there.”
These messages usually precede violent attacks by the Israeli army or ground incursions into the Gaza Strip.
According to UN data, nine out of every 10 people residing in Gaza have been forced to flee due to Israeli attacks.
On Wednesday, the Gaza media office announced that the Israeli army is crowding about 1.7 million displaced Palestinians into an area that is no more than one-tenth the size of the Gaza Strip.
