Gaza Faces Intensified Bombardment Amid New Evacuation Warnings

Israel has escalated its assault on Gaza, issuing fresh evacuation orders and carrying out strikes that have claimed dozens of lives.

Overnight airstrikes by the Israeli military resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people in northern Gaza, according to reports on Tuesday. Simultaneously, residents of Khan Younis, a southern city in the besieged territory, were instructed to evacuate specific areas.

Medical officials reported eight fatalities in Beit Lahiya due to a series of strikes, four deaths in Gaza City, and two more in Jabalia, a historic refugee camp in northern Gaza.

In the early hours, Israeli forces expanded evacuation orders in Khan Younis, urging residents to relocate. The army issued a statement on social media platform X, warning: “For your own safety, you must evacuate the area immediately and move to the humanitarian zone,” citing rocket fire by Palestinian factions.

However, rights groups and humanitarian organizations argue that such directives are misleading. Action For Humanity, a nonprofit organization, criticized the term “humanitarian zone” as an attempt to justify forced displacement and give an impression of compliance with international humanitarian law. Experts and Palestinian officials emphasize that Gaza lacks any truly safe zones, with widespread displacement affecting nearly all of its 2.3 million residents, many of whom have been forced to relocate multiple times.

Palestinian factions have accused Israel of using evacuations and attacks to push residents out of northern Gaza to establish a buffer zone. The Israeli military denies these claims, stating that operations are aimed at preventing Hamas from reestablishing itself in previously cleared areas.

The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with the Palestinian Civil Defence reporting severe challenges. Their rescue efforts in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoon have been paralyzed for nearly four weeks due to relentless strikes and critical fuel shortages. Since the onset of the conflict last year, the organization has reported the loss of 88 members, injuries to 304 others, and the detention of 21 personnel by Israeli forces. Additionally, 13 of their 27 emergency vehicles in central and southern Gaza are now out of operation due to the fuel crisis.

The ongoing conflict has left the people of Gaza in dire circumstances, with no end to the violence in sight.