The situation in the area around Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip has become extremely tense after the Israeli army issued a new evacuation order. Thousands of residents are rushing to leave their homes and residential areas in a state of emergency.
The scenes of hasty, anxious residents and the mass movement have highlighted the severity of the ongoing crisis. With this evacuation order, residents here are not only facing the fear of the conflict but also the difficulty of finding safe shelter.
On August 8, the Israeli army ordered a large-scale evacuation in the areas around Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The decision was made amid an increasingly tense security situation, with Israeli forces preparing to deploy quickly in response to a recent rocket attack.
People leave the city of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, August 8, 2024. (Photo: Xinhua)
This move not only reflects the severity of the situation, but also shows Israel’s efforts to protect the safety of residents in the area. Authorities and humanitarian organizations are working urgently to support people in this urgent time.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that its partners reported that thousands of people had left the areas around Khan Younis city after the Israeli army issued a new evacuation order, heading towards the town of Al Mawasi.
According to OCHA, the evacuation order affected residents in the eastern and central areas of Khan Younis as well as the Al Salqa area in Deir al Balah.
OCHA said: “According to initial estimates by partners monitoring displacement in Gaza, more than 15,500 people were living in those areas, including more than 30 settlements.”
“We call on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including by always paying due attention to civilians and civilian property,” OCHA urged.
Since the conflict began in October 2023, the Israeli military has carried out several attacks back into areas in the Gaza Strip that it had previously cleared. The second largest city in the Gaza Strip, Khan Younis, has suffered heavy damage, with virtually the entire city destroyed by Israeli air and ground attacks since early 2024.
These attacks have exacerbated the humanitarian emergency and crisis in the region, pushing millions of people into hardship and insecurity.
Some images of people leaving Khan Younis city, southern Gaza Strip, on August 8 (Photo: Xinhua):
