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Hundreds of Palestinians flee Khan Younis as IDF bombards Southern Gaza

Hundreds of Palestinians are fleeing Khan Younis in southern Gaza following IDF bombardments and mass evacuation orders, amid escalating violence between Israeli forces and militant groups.

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(Photo: X/UNRWA)

Hundreds of Palestinians are fleeing Khan Younis in southern Gaza after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bombarded the largely ruined city and ordered a mass evacuation of residents.

Witnesses reported strikes on Tuesday (2 July) in and around the city, resulting in eight deaths and over 30 injuries, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent and a medical source.

The attacks followed a rare rocket barrage on Monday (1 July) claimed by the militant group Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas.

The Israeli military reported that about 20 projectiles were identified crossing from the area of Khan Younis, most of which were intercepted.

No casualties were reported on the Israeli side, and artillery was striking the sources of the fire.

The bombardment and evacuation orders suggest that troops could launch a new ground assault on Gaza’s second-largest city.

Israeli forces fought for months in Khan Younis earlier this year and withdrew, claiming to have destroyed Hamas battalions.

On Monday (1 July), IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X, announcing an evacuation order for the Gaza Strip’s south-eastern corner, including the towns of Al-Qarara and Bani Suhaila.

Israel’s army instructed residents to move to al-Mawasi, a coastal area designated by the IDF as a safe zone.

“For your safety, you must evacuate immediately to the humanitarian zone,” Adraee urged, addressing residents and displaced people.

The Israeli army claimed that the evacuation order did not apply to the European Hospital in Khan Younis.

However, the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that patients were being transferred to nearby hospitals after Israel ordered the evacuation of the east of the city.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that the IDF is “making progress toward ending the phase of the destruction of Hamas’s terror army,” but there would be continued strikes to target its remnants.

Israeli military officials have described a shift to a third phase of the fighting in Gaza, with intermittent raids from troops based at strategic locations within the territory replacing the major offensives seen in recent months.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said the new evacuation order “just shows yet again that no place is safe in Gaza” for Palestinian civilians.

“It’s another stop in this deadly circular movement that the population in Gaza has to undergo on a regular basis,” he said in a statement calling for a ceasefire.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has condemned the latest Israeli evacuation order, saying about 250,000 people will have to flee Khan Younis “even though nowhere is safe in Gaza.”

“Just weeks after people were forced to return to a devastated Khan Younis, Israeli authorities have issued new evacuation orders for the area. Yet again, families face forced displacement,” they said on X.

Much of Khan Younis was destroyed in a long assault this year, but large numbers of Palestinians had moved back to escape another Israeli offensive in Gaza’s southernmost city, Rafah.

Most of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have fled their homes, with many repeatedly displaced.

Israeli restrictions, fighting, and the breakdown of public order have hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid, fueling widespread hunger and sparking fears of famine.

The Israeli assault in response to Hamas’ 7 October attack has killed at least 37,900 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials. About half of those fully identified so far are women or children.

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Better flee, otherwise they complained Israel genocide again

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Netanyahu needs the war to remain in power. Same as Biden to fill his election coffers. The Leftist Jews and the Haredi Jews want the war to stop.So the protests will only increase in Israel and America. The Houthis , Hezbollah and other so called terrorist groups by the West have already entered the war. They have only responded to the Israeli attacks measuredly. Netanyahu and Biden are making a mistake thinking that the defence dome will protect Israeli civilian casualties. Just as Hamas was successful in their hostage taking on October 7th, the IDF is seeing more casualties and… Read more »

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I wonder why the mossad assassination squads (the kidon units) are able to take out high-value targets deep inside Iran, but unable to do anything to Hamas top leaders living freely in the gulf states in relatively more open societies, wiring billions in money transfers back and forth to and from gaza unintercepted.

Makes you wonder if those kidon units are really that forgetful.

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The pro-terrorist camp still doesn’t admit the 7 Oct attack was a very bad gamble by Hamas. All the deaths and suffering by innocent civilians (minus those actively helping Hamas, abducting/holding hostages, etc) for past near 8 months is DIRECTLY attributed to that terrorist attack. But the pro-terrorist advocates are very glad that Hamas leaders are safe in Qatar (or maybe Tunisia/Algeria) living in 5-star accommodations, eating well while talking about famine and starvation of their people.

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Soon we will hear Lebanon, Houthis and Hezbollah calling Israel genocides. Sigh

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