Israel orders evacuation of southern Gaza ahead of major attack

Yahoo

26-05-2025

The Israeli military called on Gazans to leave most settlements in the south of the strip, as it prepares to launch an "unprecedented attack" against terrorist organizations in the area, according to an evacuation order issued in Arabic on Monday.
The order affects the larger cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, as well as all other settlements in southern Gaza expect for Al-Mawasi, a map published by the military showed.
Gazans were told to move to Al-Mawasi in south-western Gaza, which has been designated as a humanitarian zone during the war.
Militants continued to fire rockets from areas affected by the evacuation order, the Israeli military said, after reporting shelling from the south of the Palestinian territory on Monday morning.
According to eyewitnesses, many people heeded the call to evacuate.
However, a large number of deaths were reported from Khan Younis, the second largest city in the Gaza Strip, with the military reiterating that the city was considered a "dangerous combat zone."
The Nasser Hospital and Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis are exempt from the evacuation order, the military said.
Israeli attacks are drawing increasing criticism, including from its close allies, due to the soaring death toll and limited aid that has caused a catastrophic situation in Gaza.
The Gaza war was triggered by the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which were led by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Since then, more than 53,900 people have been killed in the territory, according to Palestinian sources. More than 122,700 people have been injured.
Reports: Israel rejects latest Gaza ceasefire proposal
The Israeli government on Monday also rejected the latest proposal for a ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, local media reported.
"The proposal received by Israel cannot be accepted by any responsible government," the Times of Israel quoted an unnamed senior official as saying, who didn't give any further details.
According to the ynet news website, the proposal was made by a Palestinian-American businessman who has reportedly been involved in direct negotiations with Hamas for some time.
The Hezbollah-affiliated Arab broadcaster Al-Mayadeen reported that the proposal involves a 70-day ceasefire to allow both sides to conduct negotiations on an end to the war, while Hamas is to release five living hostages and the bodies of a further five from Gaza.
The draft is far removed from the proposal drawn up by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, ynet quoted an Israeli official as saying.
Sources say Hamas agrees to Witkoff deal
Later on Monday, sources close to Hamas said the group had agreed to the deal proposed by Witkoff, a claim that the US special envoy has reportedly denied.
The proposal reportedly provides for a 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 Israeli hostages and the entry of 1,000 aid trucks into Gaza.
In addition, according to the information provided, the United States would guarantee that comprehensive negotiations on a permanent ceasefire begin. Sources also said that Hamas had committed to halting "any development of its military capabilities."
Israel is demanding the group's complete disarmament.
However, Barak Ravid, a well-connected correspondent for the US news site Axios, said Witkoff had rejected the reports.
He quoted Witkoff as saying that what he had seen from Hamas was "disappointing and completely unacceptable."
Witkoff reportedly called on Hamas to agree to the deal on the table, Ravid said in a report on the news portal walla. Israel has already agreed to the deal, Ravid added.
According to Israeli sources, at least 20 hostages are still being held alive in the Gaza Strip, with the fate of three further abductees unclear. In addition, the bodies of 35 hostages are being held.
Report: 19 killed in Israeli strike in northern Gaza
At least 19 people were killed in an Israeli attack in northern Gaza, local media reported earlier on Monday.
Further people were injured when Israeli fighter jets shelled a house in Jabalia, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Minors are said to be among the dead.
The Israeli military said it was investigating the report.
In a separate statement posted on Telegram, the military said "operational activity against terrorist organizations" continues across the Gaza Strip.
Over the past 48 hours, the air force struck more than 200 targets across the war-torn coastal enclave, it said, including "terrorists, weapon storage facilities, sniper and anti-tank missile posts, tunnel shafts, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites."
More than 50 people have reportedly been killed in the Gaza Strip amid the Israeli attacks since last night.
Initial reports earlier on Monday said at least 36 people were killed in an Israeli overnight attack in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli air force said it targeted a Hamas command centre.
Most of the dead were women and children, WAFA reported early on Monday, adding that the attack also left dozens injured.
The Israeli military said the target was located in a building in northern Gaza City that had previously served as a school.
According to WAFA, the building had housed displaced people, with tents catching fire during the attack.
The information from both sides could not initially be independently verified.
The Israeli military said the strike was aimed at Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists who were planning attacks against Israeli forces inside Gaza and on Israeli territory.
Many steps were taken prior to the "precise strike" to reduce civilian casualties, it added.
The military described this as another example of the systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure and humanitarian protection zones by Hamas, stating that this violated international law.