On Tuesday, Israel launched new strikes in southern Gaza, prompting hundreds of Palestinians to flee as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued another mass evacuation order for much of Khan Younis.
Witnesses reported numerous strikes in and around the city, resulting in the deaths of eight people and injuries to more than 30, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent and a medical source, reported Agence France-Presse.
These strikes followed a rare rocket barrage claimed by the militant group Islamic Jihad, which has been fighting alongside Hamas.
The Israeli military stated that about "20 projectiles were identified crossing from the area of Khan Younis," most of which were intercepted. They reported no casualties and said artillery was "striking the sources of the fire."
Israel's strikes have raised concerns about a potential new ground assault on Gaza's second-largest city. "For your safety, you must evacuate immediately to the humanitarian zone," army spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X, directing residents and displaced people to leave the area.
The evacuation order on Monday affected the eastern half of Khan Younis and a large portion of the Gaza Strip's southeastern corner.
Residents in some neighborhoods reported receiving audio messages from Israeli phone numbers instructing them to evacuate. "We received a message on our mobile phones" to leave, said Zeinab Abu Jazar, a displaced woman holding back tears.
The Israeli army directed people to move to al-Mawasi, a coastal area designated by the IDF as a safe zone, now overcrowded with unsanitary tent camps.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the new evacuation order "just shows yet again that no place is safe in Gaza" for Palestinian civilians. "It's another stop in this deadly circular movement that the population in Gaza has to undergo on a regular basis," he said, calling for a ceasefire.
Much of Khan Younis was destroyed in a previous assault earlier this year, but many Palestinians had moved back to escape another Israeli offensive in Gaza's southernmost city, Rafah.
As night fell, civilians began leaving the city on foot and in vehicles, moving out of the evacuation zone.
The order suggested a new assault on the city was likely. Israeli forces had previously fought for weeks in Khan Younis and withdrew, claiming to have destroyed Hamas battalions.
Last week, the military ordered an evacuation from the northern Gaza district of Shijaiyah, which was followed by intense fighting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Monday that the military was "making progress toward ending the phase of the destruction of Hamas' terror army." He added, "there will be a continuation to strike its remnants."
Further fighting in the Khan Younis area could impede Palestinians' access to vital aid. The area surrounding the Kerem Shalom crossing, the main aid crossing to southern Gaza, is in the evacuation zone.
Most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have fled their homes, with many being displaced multiple times. Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting, and the breakdown of public order have hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid, leading to widespread hunger and fears of famine.
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