Israel continues to forcibly displace hundreds of Palestinians in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, which is under intense air and ground attacks by Israeli forces.
Following threats from the Israeli army to target civilian settlements, many Palestinians from the eastern areas of Khan Younis were forcibly displaced to a “humanitarian zone” in the Al Mawasi area close to the city.
Areas in the east such as Cura al Lut, Ash-Sheikh Nasir, Al Ketibeh and Jalal Street along with the western region of 5th Street in Khan Younis have been subjected to intense Israeli bombardment in recent days.
The Israeli army attacked the southern city of Rafah and the Nuseirat refugee camp in the blockaded Gaza, killing 11 civilians and wounding dozens of others.
Israeli warplanes bombed a house in the Tel al Sultan neighborhood of Rafah. Six Palestinians were killed, most of them children, and many others were wounded, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
In an attack on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, five Palestinians lost their lives, including three children. There were also many wounded in an attack on the Al Bassa neighbourhood of Deir al Balah.
Israeli tanks were trying to push further west in and around Khan Younis and bombed the city, as they met resistance amid intense combat in a war that has now entered its third month and with no end in sight.
Khan Younis, the main city in the southern Gaza has a population of around 626,000 including people displaced by Israeli bombing in the north, comes as Israel refocused its war effort to the south.
The International Union of Muslim Scholars has called for a global strike on Monday to demand an immediate ceasefire as Israel continues its attacks in Gaza.
The statement called on people worldwide, especially in the Islamic world, to take part and urged institutions, parties, movements and influential figures globally to continue the strike until its objectives are achieved, aiming to stop the “unjust” war and save innocent lives.
It noted the success of boycotts and humanitarian efforts but highlighted the UN Security Council’s failure to stop Israel’s war on Gaza. It suggested a review of the Security Council’s veto system, proposing that decisions be based on a simple majority vote.
The armed wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, announced that they killed 40 Israeli soldiers and destroyed 44 military vehicles in the past 48 hours.
“During the last 48 hours, the Qassam fighters managed to completely or partially destroy 44 military vehicles on all fronts of the fighting in Gaza,” they said on their Telegram account. “Our fighters confirmed that 40 soldiers were killed and dozens of other Zionist soldiers were wounded,” they added.
The statement reported the use of booby traps to destroy buildings, targeting an Israeli field command center, and using mortar shells and short-range rockets against areas where soldiers gathered. Israel has not yet issued a statement regarding the announcement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that it is “unacceptable” for Israel to use the October 7 attack by Hamas as a pretext for the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
Addressing the 21st Doha Forum in Qatar, he called for an international observation mission for Gaza.
He suggested that Hamas’s attack on Israel was not unfounded, highlighting that it followed years of blockade and unfulfilled promises for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
