Gazans face fresh evacuation as Israel targets Hamas base

By Ezekiel David

The Israeli army issued new evacuation orders on Friday for areas in southern and central Gaza that were previously designated as humanitarian safe zones. The army stated that these areas had been used by Hamas as bases for firing mortars and rockets towards Israel.

Warning flyers and text messages were sent to residents in the areas north of Khan Younis and in the eastern part of Deir Al-Balah. These regions have become shelters for tens of thousands of people fleeing the ongoing fighting in other parts of Gaza.

“The advance warning to civilians is being issued in order to mitigate harm to the civilian population and to enable civilians to move away from the combat zone,” the Israeli military said in a statement.

Earlier, the military reported striking an area in Khan Younis where rockets had been launched towards the Israeli community of Kissufim on Thursday. They discovered weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles and explosives, in the targeted area.

These latest evacuation orders come as negotiations continue in Doha, where diplomats are working to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli and foreign hostages.

Since Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began following the October 7 Hamas-led attack, most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced multiple times. Even in areas labeled as humanitarian safe zones, reports of casualties from Israeli strikes have persisted.

Israel has accused Hamas and other militant groups of using civilian areas to shield their fighters, a charge that Hamas denies. The conflict has increasingly adopted guerrilla warfare tactics, with small, mobile groups of fighters making the situation more unpredictable.

On Thursday, Gaza’s health ministry reported that the death toll from Israel’s ongoing military offensive had surpassed 40,000, marking a grim milestone in the nearly eleven months of conflict.

(Source: Reuters)