Humanitarian zone in Khan Younis: evacuation southwards as Gaza operations expand

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Israel has announced the establishment of a “humanitarian zone” in Khan Younis as part of the expansion of its ground operation in Gaza, dubbed “Chariots of Gideon 2.”

On Saturday morning, the Israeli army called on residents of Gaza City, in the northern part of the Palestinian enclave, to move to a “humanitarian zone” in the south in anticipation of a ground assault on the enclave’s largest urban center.

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In a message addressed “to the residents of Gaza City and all those present there,” the army’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated: “As of this moment, and in order to facilitate the departure of those leaving the city, we declare the al-Mawasi area (south) a humanitarian zone.”

On his official account on the X platform, he added: “Take the opportunity to move early to the humanitarian zone and join the thousands who have already relocated there.”

He further noted: “As the ground maneuver expands in Gaza City and Hamas strongholds are captured in the framework of Operation Chariots of Gideon 2, the Israel Defense Forces declare the designation of a humanitarian zone in Khan Younis.”

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He pointed out that “the humanitarian zone includes vital infrastructures such as field hospitals, water pipelines and desalination facilities, along with a continuous supply of food, tents, medicines, and medical supplies, all to be delivered in coordination between the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories unit and the international community.”

He stressed that efforts to bring humanitarian aid and adapt infrastructure “will continue without interruption in cooperation with the United Nations and international organizations, alongside the expansion of the ground maneuver.”

The United Nations estimates that around one million people reside in Gaza City and its surroundings, warning of a “catastrophe” should Israel launch a large-scale assault on the city.

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The gates of hell

These developments came a day after the Israeli army destroyed a tower in Gaza City, having announced its intention to target high-rise buildings it accuses Hamas of using. Israel is intensifying its offensive to seize control of the largest city in the enclave, where nearly one million civilians are crammed.

Despite mounting domestic and international pressure to halt its nearly two-year campaign in Gaza, Israel continues to reinforce its troops and step up bombings and military operations on the city’s outskirts since declaring its determination to seize it.

On the same day, Defense Minister Israel Katz declared: “The gates of hell have opened in Gaza,” vowing to intensify operations until Hamas accepts Israel’s terms to end the war.

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Israel expects that nearly one million people will be displaced southward as a result of its new offensive.

Seven hundred days after Hamas’s attack on Israel, which triggered the war, the group’s military wing released a video showing two Israeli hostages alive in Gaza late last month.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday raised the possibility that a greater number of hostages held in Gaza may have died, stating that the United States was engaged in “deep negotiations” with Hamas amid the ongoing Israeli offensive.

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“It may be that some of them have recently died, that’s what I’m hearing. I hope that is wrong, but in these negotiations there are more than 30 bodies,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.

Israeli strikes and military operations in Gaza have killed at least 64,300 people, the majority of them civilians, according to the latest figures from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health.

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