At least 70 Palestinians killed in Khan Younis, thousands flee the city

In a statement, the Israeli army said its aircraft and tanks “bombed and eliminated terrorists in the region.”

The war has seen no respite. At least 70 Palestinians have been killed and more than 200 injured in “Attacks by the Israeli occupation in the Khan Younis governorate since this morning and until now” the Hamas-led government’s Health Ministry reported on Monday, July 22.

Thousands of people also fled in panic after a military evacuation order. Contacted by AFP, the army did not immediately react. But in a statement, it said its air force and tanks “had bombed and eliminated terrorists in the region.”

In front of the Nasser hospital in Khan Younes where the dead and wounded were transported, heartbreaking scenes took place under the helpless gaze of the medical staff: a man brandishes the corpse of a baby while screaming, a woman collapsed with grief hits her head, people covered in blood with haggard looks.

New evacuation orders today in Khan Younis mean more suffering and displacement. Families had to pack what is left of their belongings and run, amid bombardment, and with nowhere safe to go.

People in #Gaza are exhausted, living in inhumane conditions, with no safety at all. pic.twitter.com/LSYTEBxMRM

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) July 22, 2024

The army withdrew from Khan Yunis, the largest city in the south of the Palestinian territory, in early April, saying it had completed its operations against Hamas after months of intense bombardment and fighting. But earlier Monday, it ordered people to leave eastern Khan Yunis again, saying it was preparing a “operation against terrorist organizations” after rockets were fired towards Israel from the area.

“We were happy to prepare breakfast”and suddenly “The shells fall, then the warning leaflets”says Hassan Qoudayh, who had to flee with his family like thousands of other people who left in panic. “There were martyrs in the streets. Gaza is finished, Gaza is dead. There is nothing left, nothing. Enough!”he said. Displaced for the fourth time, Youssef Abou Taimah can’t take it anymore. “We’re going to live on the streets! We’re exhausted, we can’t stand these trips anymore.”