Israeli Strikes Ramp Up in Southern Gaza, Hitting over 400 Targets
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Israeli army launched a barrage of strikes, hitting over 400 targets overnight, particularly concentrating on the southern Khan Younis area, where tens of thousands of civilians had previously evacuated.
A "large-scale attack" struck over 50 targets in Khan Younis, with naval forces utilizing "precision weapons" against Gaza infrastructure, as per the regime military's statement. Israel urged people to evacuate from Khan Younis, advising them to move towards Rafah near the Egyptian border.
The Israeli assaults primarily targeted agricultural land, potentially indicating preparations for further ground incursions akin to previous operations in the north, combining artillery and aerial bombardments to facilitate future military movements.
Following the end of the Israel-Hamas truce, new casualties flooded hospitals in Khan Younis, with families reporting being awakened by Israeli shelling, causing widespread destruction.
Witnesses described harrowing scenes of destruction, including a 21-year-old resident who recounted the devastation: "The entire area where we live has been completely wiped out."
Reports emerged of individuals trapped under collapsed structures, including a 10-year-old girl who described the sound of falling debris before being rescued by neighbors.
Amidst the chaos, concerns mounted over the arrest and unknown whereabouts of Awni Khattab, head of the Khan Younis Emergency Medical Center. He was arrested by Israeli forces while transporting wounded patients from Gaza City's al-Shifa Hospital.
Al Jazeera's Tareq Abu Azzoum described the situation as "terrifying," with Israeli airstrikes targeting both northern and southern Gaza. Leaflets dropped by Israel indicated southern Gaza as a combat zone, urging residents to move to Rafah, despite recent attacks there.
Yet, Rafah faced extensive airstrikes, resulting in fatalities, signaling the absence of safe havens in Gaza amid the ongoing Israeli violence.
“Israeli air strikes destroyed several buildings and claimed the lives of more than 100 Palestinians over the last 24 hours,” he said.
The latest wave of Israeli airstrikes has resulted in a staggering death toll exceeding 15,500 Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 7.