BTN News: Israel’s military has told people to leave an area in the Gaza Strip known as a humanitarian zone. This is because Israel plans to start an operation against Hamas fighters in Khan Younis, including parts of Muwasi, where many people are staying in makeshift camps. The evacuation order came after a rocket was fired from that region, according to Israel. This is the second time in a week that people have been told to leave an area meant to be safe for Palestinians escaping from other parts of Gaza. Many Palestinians have had to move many times to find safety during Israel’s air and ground attacks.
Earlier this week, after the order to leave, Israeli airstrikes hit areas around Khan Younis, killing at least 70 people, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, which got its numbers from Nasser Hospital. The humanitarian zone is 60 square kilometers, which is about 20 square miles. Israel has asked Palestinians to go to this zone during the war. Most of this zone is filled with tents. These camps do not have proper sanitation and medical facilities. There is also limited access to aid, according to the United Nations and humanitarian groups. Israel says about 1.8 million Palestinians are taking refuge there. This is more than half of Gaza’s population before the war, which was 2.3 million people.
More airstrikes happened overnight in Zawaida, in central Gaza. These strikes killed at least five people. AP journalists saw the bodies at Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah. The victims included a father, a mother, and their three children. The conflict in Gaza has killed more than 39,100 Palestinians. This number comes from the territory’s Ministry of Health. They do not separate fighters from civilians in their count. The UN estimated in February that around 17,000 children in Gaza are without their parents, and this number has likely gone up.
The war started on October 7 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel. They killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostages. Israeli authorities say about 115 hostages are still in Gaza, and they think about a third of them have died.
