Israel orders evacuation of Khan Yunis, Gaza’s second-largest city

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians from much of Khan Yunis on Monday, a sign that troops are preparing to attack an unused garden within the Gaza Strip’s second-largest city. is likely to.

The series advised that Khan Younis would be the new target of Israeli raids on parts of Gaza it had invaded so far in the war, as he attempts to reintegrate Hamas militants. A large part of Khan Yunis was destroyed in a prolonged attack before this date, but large numbers of Palestinians have fled after another Israeli attack on Gaza’s southernmost city, Rafah.

The series came as Israel exempted the director of Gaza’s nearest primary clinic from being detained for seven months for trial over allegations that it had deteriorated capacity as a Hamas command center, which he and others Palestinian state officials have denied. He said he and other detainees were held in harsh conditions and tortured.

The decision to let Mohammed Abu Selmiya go raised questions about Israel’s claims to the Shifa sanatorium, which Israeli forces have raided twice since the beginning of the conflict with Hamas.

His departure caused an uproar across Israel’s political spectrum. Top Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administrative center called it “a serious mistake.” Government ministers and opposition leaders expressed outrage and insisted that Abu Selmiya played a role in Hamas’ alleged profiteering of the clinic – even though Israeli security services would hardly unilaterally free prisoners if they are suspected of terrorist ties.

khan younis withdrawal

Monday’s series of evacuations covered the Japanese part of Khan Yunis and a large part of the south-east corner of the Gaza Strip. Earlier in the hour, the army said rockets were fired from Gaza towards Khan Younis.

The series reported that an unprovoked attack on the city was approaching. Before this date Israeli forces fought for several weeks in Khan Yunis and withdrew, claiming to have destroyed Hamas battalions. However, renewed raids in alternative parks where the military has made similar claims have underlined Hamas’ actions.

Later, the army ordered the evacuation of Shijaiyah in the northern Gaza district, and intense fighting ensued.

Netanyahu said on Monday that the military was “making progress toward ending the phase of destruction of the Hamas terrorist army.” However he said the forces would continue to “target their remnants as we move forward”.

More fighting in the Khan Yunis section could further reduce Palestinians’ access to much-needed potable H2O. Included within the evacuation zone is an H2O chain that was placed by Israel after complaining of H2O cuts in the strip early in the conflict.

Additionally within the zone is the section size of the Kerem Shalom crossing, which is the main support crossing for southern Gaza, and a support direction within the zone that Israel has mentioned it can guarantee.

Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has fled their properties, while many have been displaced at times. Israeli sanctions, fighting and severance of humanitarian aid have disrupted humanitarian aid supplies, fueling widespread hunger and raising fears of famine.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted the series of unreported evacuations for Palestinian civilians “shows once again that no place in Gaza is safe”. “This is another milestone in this deadly cyclical movement that the population in Gaza goes through on a regular basis,” he said in a comment calling for a ceasefire.

Sanatorium operator let go

The decision to let Abu Selmiya and 54 alternative Palestinian detainees back into Gaza is believed to be aimed at freeing up overcrowded detention facilities. Since the beginning of the conflict, Israeli forces have detained hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza and the annexed West Depot. Many people are being held without charge or pending trial in what is called administrative detention.

“Our detainees faced all kinds of torture behind bars,” Abu Selmiya told a news conference. “There was almost daily torture.”

He said that to control the prisoners, the guards used batons and terrorized them with dogs. He mentioned that some detainees’ limbs were amputated due to the poor treatment they received at the hospital. He said his head started bleeding from the beating and the guard needed his finger amputated.

The allegations cannot be independently proven, but are matched by other accounts from Palestinians held in Israeli custody. There was a false immediate response from the prison provider, which has denied the allegations.

Israeli forces raided the Shifa sanatorium in November, alleging that Hamas had built an elaborate command and regulation center. Abu Selmiya and the Workers’ Alternative group denied the allegations and accused Israel of endangering hundreds of victims and the displaced population seeking refuge there. Abu Selmiya was detained on 22 November.

Amid the uproar over Abu Selmiya’s release, several Israeli environmental organs responsible for the detention sought to apportion blame.

Netanyahu’s administrative center noted that Abu Selmiya “remains in prison” and that the top minister had ordered a thorough assessment of how the release occurred. It said the decision was given “without the knowledge of the political sector or the heads of organisations”.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who controls the country’s police and prison service, blamed the Defense Ministry.

Defense Minister Yoav Galant’s administrative center said the release of prisoners is the responsibility of the prison provider and the Internal Security Agency, Shin Weger. The prison provider said the decision was made by Shin Weger and the military, and overruled a report ordering his release that was signed by a military general.

Shin Wager noted that Abu Selmiya had submitted a probability review “compared to other detainees”. It said the federal government has decided on its recommendation to release progressive prisoners so that they cannot be blackmailed into going to jail.

In its first raid on Shifa Sanatorium, the army uncovered a tunnel key to two empty rooms beneath it, as well as evidence that terrorists had brought injured hostages into the facility. However, the evidence failed to unveil a broader bottom, as claimed.

Israel has since raided alternative Gaza hospitals over similar allegations, forcing them to degrade or dramatically discontinue services and products. The army raided Shifa just moments earlier today, causing massive destruction, saying nearby militants had regrouped there.

Israel launched its offensive on the heels of Hamas’ October 7 attack, in which Palestinian militants killed about 1,200 people across southern Israel and took another 250 hostage. Israel has killed at least 37,900 Palestinians in its campaign, according to Gaza’s state ministry, which did not say how many were civilians or warring parties.

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Magdy reported from Cairo and Frankel from Jerusalem. Edith M. Lederer, correspondent for the United States Press, contributed.

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