Gaza: Israeli forces launched extensive bombardments across the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, prompting thousands of Palestinians to evacuate amidst what appears to be a culmination of Israel’s prolonged military operations in a nine-month conflict.
Eight Palestinians were reported killed and dozens wounded, according to health officials, while Israel confirmed the deaths of two soldiers in previous skirmishes.
Israeli leaders indicated a transition from broad offensives against Hamas, Gaza’s governing Islamist group since 2007, towards more targeted military actions.
Later on Tuesday, medics reported 17 Palestinians killed in Israeli tank shelling of Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City’s densely populated north. Unverified footage on Palestinian social media depicted a local market scene with bloodstained floors and scattered bread.
Israeli military directives had earlier instructed residents of several eastern Khan Younis towns and villages to evacuate ahead of renewed tank movements into areas vacated weeks ago.
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Residents and Hamas media sources noted that many who hadn’t initially evacuated were compelled to flee their homes overnight amid airstrikes on Karara, Abassan, and other targeted areas.
“Where will we go?” lamented Tamer, a 55-year-old businessman displaced six times since October 7. “Every time people return home and begin rebuilding amidst rubble, the occupation sends tanks to destroy what’s left,” he conveyed via Reuters.
The Israeli military stated its strikes on Khan Younis targeted sites from where about 20 rockets were launched Monday, focusing on weapon depots and operational centers. It emphasized measures taken to evacuate civilians before strikes, referencing prior evacuation notices, while accusing Hamas of using civilian infrastructure and populations as human shields—an accusation Hamas denies.
Islamic Jihad, aligned with Hamas, claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks.
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Endgame in Rafah
The conflict erupted when Hamas infiltrated southern Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,200 deaths and approximately 250 hostages taken back into Gaza, according to Israeli accounts. In retaliation, Israel’s offensive has claimed nearly 38,000 lives, according to Gaza’s health ministry, leaving the densely populated enclave devastated.
While Gaza’s health ministry doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians, officials assert most casualties are non-combatants. Israel reported 320 soldiers killed in Gaza, estimating a third of Palestinian casualties were militants.
Among the areas under evacuation orders was European Gaza Hospital, serving Khan Younis and Rafah, requiring the evacuation of patients and sheltering families, witnesses and medics confirmed.
Some displaced residents headed west to the overcrowded Mawasi area by the beach, designated a humanitarian zone. Some resorted to sleeping on the streets due to a lack of shelter.
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Israel anticipates concluding its operation in Rafah, near Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, aimed at neutralizing Hamas’s final stronghold. Post-major combat, Israel plans scaled-back operations to prevent Hamas regrouping, officials stated, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserting progress towards neutralizing Hamas’s military capabilities.
Meanwhile, Hamas and Islamic Jihad continue to launch attacks against Israeli forces in Gaza and fire rockets into Israel. Hamas insists Israel has failed to meet war objectives and remains prepared for prolonged conflict.
Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and release hostages have stalled. Hamas insists any agreement must end hostilities and include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israel, however, favors temporary truces until Hamas is completely dismantled.
