From the Liveblog of
Friday, August 16, 2024
IDF orders evacuation of Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah neighborhoods
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF issues a new evacuation order for Palestinians in north Khan Younis and east Deir al-Balah and has further reduced the boundaries of the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone.
Several neighborhoods in north Khan Younis will no longer be considered part of the humanitarian zone, as the IDF says it is planning to operate there against Hamas activity.
“Due to many acts of terrorism, the exploitation of the humanitarian zone for terror activity, and the firing of rockets at the State of Israel from the neighborhoods in north Khan Younis, remaining in this area has become dangerous,” the IDF says.
The military says that it is adjusting the humanitarian zone based on “precise intelligence indicating that Hamas has placed terror infrastructure in the area that was defined as a humanitarian area.”
According to the IDF, the early warning is aimed at mitigating harm to civilians.
“The IDF is about to operate forcefully against the terror organizations, and therefore calls on the remaining population left in the northern neighborhoods of Khan Younis, as well as eastern Deir al-Balah, to temporarily evacuate to the adjusted humanitarian zone,” the military says.
Deir al-Balah is one of the few areas in Gaza where the IDF has not intensively operated with ground forces.
The IDF’s calls to civilians are being communicated via leaflets dropped by aircraft, SMS messages, phone calls, and media broadcasts.
A military source says hospitals in the area do not need to evacuate, and that the IDF has communicated this to Palestinian health officials and officials in the international community.
