Dozens killed and thousands flee as Israel shrinks ‘humanitarian zone’ in Gaza
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 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.
Dr. Mohammad Saqer, spokesman for Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, told CNN Tuesday that the hospital had issued death certificates for 75 Palestinians killed since Monday morning, the majority of them women and children. Saqer said the hospital was dealing with more than 200 injuries, of which dozens are in serious and critical condition, and he expected the number of deaths to rise.
The IDF said Tuesday that “aircraft struck over 50 terror infrastructure sites, including weapons storage facilities, observation posts, and structures used by Hamas terrorists, as well as underground tunnel routes in the area.”
Additionally, it said, Israeli forces had killed “dozens of terrorists in targeted aerial strikes and close-quarters combat” further south in Rafah. CNN cannot independently verify the IDF claims.
Israel launched its military offensive on October 7 after Hamas attacked southern Israel. At least 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others abducted, according to Israeli authorities.
Israeli strikes in Gaza have since killed 39,090 Palestinians and injured another 90,147, according to the Ministry of Health there. CNN cannot independently verify the figures from Gazan authorities.
Criticism of Israel, Hamas and Arab world
A CNN stringer in Khan Younis filmed video Monday of thousands of people – many on foot or with donkey carts – carrying mattresses and their belongings. Most were women and children.
One woman carrying a box screamed to the camera: “Film this, film it so people can see what’s happening to us.”
A young girl is seen carrying a water bottle and crying loudly, walking through the destroyed street with her mother and siblings.
At one point the sound of heavy gunfire close by sends women and children screaming in panic. Children are seen running barefoot while carrying blankets and belongings.
A man called Mohammad Abdul Jawad told CNN that “The (Israeli) army called us in the morning, ordering people in Abasan, Khuzaa, Al Zanneh, Al Qarara, and Bani Sehaila to evacuate. It all happened suddenly. They said go to the safe area, but there is no safe area in all of the Gaza Strip. They are making fun of us.”
“We left everything, our tents and everything inside them. Where should we go now? It is very hot, we have no money or anything, and no one cares about us.” Jawad said that Israeli tanks had been about 500 meters (1,600 ft) away.
A few people expressed anger toward Arab states for not doing more to help. Um Hazem Sammoun, walking with her children, asked: “Where are the Arab world and the Arab leaders? Let them come look at our children. We don’t know where we are going or where we are walking to. I didn’t want to leave, but when the warplanes and tanks started the bombardment, I was scared for my four children... I swear I am walking and don’t know where to go.”
Some of the evacuees even criticized Hamas. One woman told CNN: “Every day a new order to evacuate. There is no food, drinks, or safety. We are only evacuating from one place to another. Maybe we evacuate this life and never come back. Maybe this way Hamas will be happy. Hamas forced us to leave, not the Israelis.’
A visibly angry man addressed the Hamas leadership, including the head of its military wing Yahya Sinwar, who is thought to be hiding in Gaza’s immense tunnel network.
“Do you see our suffering, Sinwar and (Hamas political leader Ismail) Haniyeh? Until when? What do you want from us? What have you brought us?” he asked.
A mother, Riham Al Agha, holding her daughter’s hand, told CNN: “We are tired, we are exhausted. It is enough. You (Hamas) are staying underground and keeping the people here to be destroyed.”
“Until when should we keep evacuating from one area to another?” Al Agha asked. “We have been evacuated 10 times since October 7. We want a solution. We are losing our children, that’s enough.”
But much of the anger on the streets was also directed at Israel.
A man who gave his name as Abu Sleiman told CNN: “The (Israelis) forced us out naked like this, we are without any weapons. Let them throw their tanks and come confront us. We are men and we will die as men, not Hamas and not Fatah.”
He accused the Israeli military of having “no mercy or humanity. They are fighting civilians, women, and children.’
In a series of posts on X, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said Monday: “New evacuation orders today in Khan Younis mean more suffering and displacement. Families had to pack what is left of their belongings and run, amid bombardment, and with nowhere safe to go. People in Gaza are exhausted, living in inhumane conditions, with no safety at all.”
On Monday, the IDF warned civilians in four municipalities in southern Gaza to leave immediately, by dropping leaflets, sending text messages and posting messages on X. The areas included parts of the so-called humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi, further shrinking the zone.
The IDF post warned civilians in Khan Younis that it “will act forcefully against terrorist organizations. For your safety, you must evacuate immediately westward to the new humanitarian zone. The area you are in is considered a dangerous combat zone.”
Meanwhile, the Gazan Civil Defense Directorate said the inclusion in the evacuation order of parts of the humanitarian zone had reduced it from 45 square kilometers to 28 square kilometers (from 17 to 11 square miles). Along with a “safe area” in central Gaza, it meant that 1.7 million people were crammed into an area of just under 50 square kilometers, it said.
The Civil Defense also alleged that its rescuers in Khan Younis had been targeted while trying to recover civilians.
Mohammad Al Sawalhi contributed to this report from Khan Younis.
The Middle East situation has sparked global concern, with the world watching closely as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues. Despite the evacuation orders, Palestinians in Gaza express anger towards not only Israel but also Hamas and other Arab states for perceived lack of support.
The ongoing Israeli incursions in the Middle East, including Khan Younis and other regions in Gaza, have resulted in a significant loss of life and infrastructure, with international organizations like UNRWA voicing concern over the suffering and displacement of civilians.
