Israel expanded its ground offensive in Gaza’s refugee-packed southern districts on Monday as international concern deepened over the mounting civilian death toll following the collapse of an Israeli-Hamas truce last week.
According to international media reports, it’s been a very deadly and bloody night for the Palestinians not just in the south but also in the central and northern parts.
Four homes in al-Janina neighborhood and a small refugee camp were completely destroyed in Rafah. At least 35 people have been reported killed and multiple critically injured.
The worst of the attacks happened here in central Khan Younis, where a commercial centre was hit. The centre is located in an area that is supposed to be safe and where hundreds of people have sought refuge in the last two days since the end of the ceasefire.
The centre was completely destroyed, burned beyond recognition. Its destruction caused severe damage to nearby areas, including homes, to the point that they are not livable.
In the eastern side of Khan Younis, the Israeli military has started to advance with tanks and armoured vehicles. A family stranded there was trying to evacuate when their three-story building was shelled by tanks and completely destroyed.
Melanie Ward, chief executive of humanitarian organisation Medical Aid for Palestinians, has said Israel’s so-called Evacuation Zone Map for residents in Gaza is causing confusion and panic.
“I cannot overstate the fear, panic and confusion that these Israeli maps are causing civilians in #Gaza, including my own staff. People cannot run from place to place to try to escape Israel’s bombs, nor does international law expect them to. What is being done is unconscionable,” Ward said in a post on X on Sunday.
Israel’s military said on Friday it had introduced the map, which divides Gaza into more than 600 zones, to enable residents “to orient themselves and understand the instructions, and to evacuate from specific places for their safety if required”.
