Dozens killed and thousands flee as Israel shrinks ‘humanitarian zone’ in Gaza
CNN
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed and thousands more forced to flee after Israel launched a fresh ground assault against what it said were Hamas targets in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis.
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed and thousands more forced to flee after Israel launched a fresh ground assault against what it said were Hamas targets in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Monday that it was reducing the size of its so-called “humanitarian zone,” ordering Palestinians to evacuate from eastern neighborhoods of Khan Younis due to intelligence that Hamas had embedded in the area. CNN witnessed exhausted and angry Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis, once Gaza’s second-biggest city. As they left, they expressed anger not only at Israel but at Hamas and even other Arab states. The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) slammed the evacuation order Tuesday as “confusing” and said it “gave no time for civilians to know from which areas they were required to leave or where they should go.” The Israeli ground incursion in Khan Younis follows similar operations in Shujayah in the north and parts of central Gaza, where military units have reentered areas to prevent Hamas from reestablishing a presence. The death toll from the operation continued to rise on Tuesday, as the Hamas-run government media office said 89 people had been killed and 263 injured so far, with nearly 200 buildings bombed.