Israel expands evacuation order for Gaza’s Khan Younis

It said in an announcement on Saturday that staying in the area had “become dangerous” due to rockets being fired by Palestinian fighters.

“The adjustment is being carried out in accordance with precise intelligence indicating that Hamas has embedded terrorist infrastructure in the area defined as a humanitarian area,” the military claimed, adding that it was about to “forcefully operate” there.

The military has regularly used this claim to justify strikes on hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructures in Gaza. It has scarcely provided evidence.

The latest order comes a week after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for eastern parts of Khan Younis and began a new ground invasion, months after launching an offensive there.

The Khan Younis invasion displaced at least 180,000 Palestinians in the first four days since it was launched, with many having to move without their belongings, according to the United Nations.

The Israeli military is continuing its deadly attacks on areas across the besieged enclave, including Rafah in the south.

UN agencies have condemned Israel’s policy of mass displacement of Gaza’s civilian population and military attacks on areas previously declared as humanitarian “safe zones” by Israel.

The Israeli military has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since the start of the current conflict in October, with over 90,000 people wounded and thousands missing.