The Israeli military has advised Palestinians to temporarily evacuate southern neighborhoods of Gaza’s Khan Younis region to facilitate “forceful operations” in the area.
In a statement released on Saturday, the military urged residents to relocate to a humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi.
This development comes more than nine months into Israel’s invasion of Gaza following the October 7 attack. The continued fighting highlights the challenges the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) face in eliminating fighters of the militant Islamist group amid ongoing resistance.
On Friday, the military reported battles with Palestinian fighters in Khan Younis, where they destroyed tunnels and other infrastructure in an effort to suppress small militant units that continue to target troops with mortar fire.
According to Gaza health authorities, more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes in the enclave, though these figures do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants. Israeli officials estimate that around 14,000 fighters from militant groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have been killed or captured, from an initial force estimated at over 25,000 at the war’s outset.
The military stated that its evacuation advisories were communicated through multiple channels to mitigate civilian danger. U.N. and humanitarian officials have accused Israel of using disproportionate force, a charge that Israel denies. The Israeli military blames Hamas for endangering civilians by operating within densely populated neighborhoods, schools, and hospitals, a claim that Hamas denies.
The conflict began with a Hamas-led raid on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the taking of 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports.
