Overnight, Israel expanded its evacuation orders in Khan Younis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, forcing tens of thousands of Palestinians to leave their homes amid the sound of explosions from tank shelling. The Israeli military stated that its operations targeted militants from Hamas, which controlled Gaza before the ongoing conflict, accusing them of using these areas to launch attacks and fire rockets. On Saturday, an Israeli airstrike struck a school in Gaza City, where displaced Palestinians were seeking refuge, resulting in at least 90 deaths, according to the civil defense service. This incident sparked international condemnation.
The Israeli military claimed it targeted a command post used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, a claim that both groups dismissed as a pretext. The military reported killing 19 militants. In Khan Younis, the evacuation order included districts in the center, east, and west, making it one of the most extensive orders in the 10-month-old conflict, following the return of tanks to the city's east. The evacuation notice was disseminated on social media and through messages to residents' phones, urging them to move to a "newly created humanitarian zone," labeling their current locations as "dangerous combat zones."
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), highlighted the dire situation, stating that people in Gaza have nowhere safe to go. Many are leaving with only their children or a small bag of belongings, heading to overcrowded shelters that are already at capacity.
The Israeli army reported hitting approximately 30 Hamas military targets over the past 24 hours, including military structures, anti-tank missile launch sites, and weapons storage facilities. The armed wing of Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for mortar attacks on Israeli forces gathering in eastern Khan Younis. Later on Sunday, an Israeli airstrike near Khan Younis' central market killed four Palestinians and injured several others. Witnesses reported smoke rising from areas targeted by Israeli planes, with two multi-story buildings being bombed.
According to the Gaza health ministry, nearly 40,000 Palestinians have died since the Israeli offensive began last October, with the death toll continuing to rise. While Gaza health officials assert that most casualties are civilians, Israel contends that at least one-third of the fatalities are fighters. Israel reports losing 329 soldiers in Gaza. The conflict erupted after Hamas fighters infiltrated southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and capturing over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced from their homes, and the territory has largely been reduced to rubble. Palestinian and UN officials assert that there are no safe zones within Gaza. Even areas designated as humanitarian zones, like Al-Mawasi in western Khan Younis, have been bombed by Israeli forces.
In the middle of the night, tens of thousands fled their homes and shelters, moving west toward Mawasi and north toward Deir Al-Balah, both of which are already overcrowded with displaced individuals. Zaki Mohammad, a 28-year-old resident of the Hamad housing project in western Khan Younis, described the exhaustion of having to evacuate for the tenth time with his family. He explained that people are carrying their belongings, children, hopes, and fears, running towards uncertainty because there is no truly safe place. "We are running from death to death," he said via a chat app.