The Israeli army ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians from much of Khan Younis on Monday, a sign that troops are likely to launch a new ground assault into the Gaza Strip’s second-largest city.
The order suggests Khan Younis will be the latest target of Israel’s raids into parts of Gaza it had previously invaded in the war, as it pursues regrouping Hamas militants. Much of Khan Younis was destroyed in a long assault earlier this year, but large numbers of Palestinians had moved back to escape another Israeli offensive in Gaza’s southernmost city, Rafah.
The evacuation came as Israel released the director of what was once Gaza’s largest hospital after holding him for seven months without charge or trial. Israel alleged the hospital had been used as a Hamas command centre, which he and other Palestinian health officials have denied. The doctor said he and other detainees were held under harsh conditions and tortured.
The decision to release Mohammed Abu Selmia raised questions over Israel’s claims surrounding Shifa Hospital, which Israeli forces have raided twice since the start of the war with Hamas. The hospital was left severely damaged after the raids.
Abu Selmia’s release triggered an uproar across Israel’s political spectrum. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called it “a grave mistake.” Government ministers and opposition leaders expressed outrage and insisted Abu Selmia played a role in Hamas’ alleged use of the hospital — although Israeli security services rarely unilaterally free prisoners if they have a suspicion of militant links.
Monday’s evacuation order covered the eastern half of Khan Younis and a large swath of the Gaza Strip’s southeast corner. Earlier in the day, the army said a barrage of rockets out of Gaza was fired from Khan Younis.
As night fell, streams of civilians trudged on foot beside a steady flow of vehicles as people began making their way out of the evacuation zone. A woman dragged a rolling suitcase with a little girl riding on top. Others carried a few crucial belongings — mattresses, clothing, plastic buckets for washing, an electric fan. Trucks were piled high with possessions and furniture.
“We received a message on our mobile phones” to evacuate, said one displaced woman Zeinab Abu Jazar, holding back tears. “Look at these children, how they walk. We did not find a car to ride in.”
Israel told people to move to Muwasi, a coastal area designated by the Israeli army as a safe zone and which has become filled with crowded and unsanitary tent camps.
The order suggested a new assault into Khan Younis was imminent. Israeli forces fought for weeks in Khan Younis earlier this year and withdrew, claiming to have destroyed Hamas battalions. But in other places where the military has made similar claims, renewed raids have underscored Hamas’ capabilities.
Last week, the military ordered an evacuation from the north Gaza district of Shijaiyah, and intensive fighting has followed.
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