Israel forces advance in Khan Yunis area of south Gaza, 47 killed across enclave

Israeli tanks pushed into northern parts of the Khan Yunis area in the south of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and Palestinian medics said further Israeli air strikes had killed at least 47 people across the enclave, Reuters reports.

Residents said tanks advanced one day after the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders, saying there had been rocket launches by Palestinian fighters from the area.

With shells crashing near residential areas, families left their homes and headed westward towards the nearby humanitarian-designated area of Al-Mawasi. Palestinian and United Nations officials say there are no safe areas left in Gaza and that most of its 2.3 million people have been displaced multiple times.

Later on Wednesday, an Israeli air strike at a tent encampment in Al-Mawasi killed at least 17 people and wounded several others, medics said. The Civil Emergency Service said the attack set several tents housing displaced families ablaze.

Another Israeli air strike hit three houses in Gaza City, killing at least 10 people and wounding many others, the Territory’s emergency service said. Many victims were still trapped under the rubble with rescue operations underway.

READ: Palestinian rights groups report Israeli expansion of detention camps for Gaza detainees

Medics said 11 people were killed in three air strikes on areas in central Gaza, including six children and a medic. Five of the dead had been queuing outside a bakery, they said.

A further nine Palestinians were killed by tank fire in Rafah, near the border with Egypt, medics said.

Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the information given by Palestinian medics.

Israeli forces also fired on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya in north Gaza for the fifth straight day, Hospital Director, Hussam Abu Safiya, said. Three of his medical staff had been wounded, one critically, on Tuesday night, he said.

Drone strikes 

“Drones are dropping bombs filled with shrapnel that injure anyone that dares to move,” said Abu Safiya. “This situation is extremely urgent.”

Residents in three towns – Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun – said Israeli forces had blown up dozens of houses.

Palestinians say Israel’s army is trying to drive people out of the northern edge of Gaza with forced evacuations and bombardments to create a buffer zone. The Israeli army denies this and says it has returned to prevent Hamas fighters from regrouping in an area where it had previously cleared them out.

The army says fighters frequently use residential buildings, schools and hospitals for operational cover.

Hamas denies this, accusing Israeli forces of indiscriminate attacks.

Israel launched its offensive in the densely populated enclave after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities across the border on 7 October, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

Israel’s military campaign has since killed more than 44,400 Palestinians, injured many others, and reduced much of the enclave to rubble.

Israel agreed to a ceasefire with the Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah, last week that halted fighting in a conflict that has unfolded in Lebanon in parallel with the Gaza war.

But the war in Gaza has ground on, with only a single ceasefire more than a year ago that lasted for one week.

 UN: Living conditions in Gaza amount to most serious int’l crimes