Israel issued new orders to displaced people to evacuate parts of a crowded humanitarian zone in Gaza yesterday, following what it said were renewed attacks by Hamas militants operating out of those areas.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) made the order for an eastern part of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, where Israel estimates at least 1.8 million Palestinians are taking refuge.
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Medics in Gaza said Israeli forces opened fire immediately after the evacuation call, killing at least 37 Palestinians near the city.
Civilians were killed by tank salvos in the town of Bani Suhaila and other towns just east of Khan Younis, which was also bombarded by air, authorities said.
The IDF said its strikes were aimed at militant targets in Khan Younis and the nearby area of Al-Mawasi, a humanitarian zone blanketed with tent camps that lack sanitation and medical facilities, which has been attacked many times since October.
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Gaza’s health ministry said the dead included several women and children and that dozens of other people had been injured. The Hamas-run ministry does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its death tallies.
About 400,000 people are living in the targeted areas, and dozens of families began to leave their houses yesterday, Palestinian officials said, adding they were not given time to leave before the Israeli strikes began.
short because of disagreements over terms between the combatants, who blame each other for the impasse.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left on a much-anticipated trip to the United States yesterday to meet with President Joe Biden, who on Sunday said he would not seek another term, and address Congress.