Deadly Airstrike in Gaza City Leaves Hundreds Displaced, Thousands Fleeing
The Israeli military has ordered more evacuations in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, following a deadly airstrike on a school-turned-shelter that killed at least 80 Palestinians. The devastating attack has left hundreds of families without a home, and thousands are fleeing the area in search of safety.
The airstrike, which targeted a militant command post, killed 19 fighters, according to Israel. However, local health authorities report that the majority of those killed were civilians who were seeking shelter in the school.
The ongoing conflict has displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people, with many forced to flee their homes multiple times. Mohammad Ashour, who was displaced from Jabaliya, described his experience, saying, "This is my fifth or sixth displacement. I don’t know where to go next."
The situation in Gaza is dire, with hundreds of thousands crammed into squalid tent camps with limited public services. Palestinians say that nowhere in the besieged territory feels safe, and the latest evacuation orders have added to the chaos.
The Israeli military has accused Hamas and other militants of hiding among civilians and launching attacks from residential areas. Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest city, suffered widespread destruction during an air and ground offensive earlier this year, and tens of thousands fled again last week after an earlier evacuation order.
The Palestinian death toll from the 10-month-old war is approaching 40,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Aid groups are struggling to address the staggering humanitarian crisis, with international experts warning of famine.
The war began when Hamas-led militants burst through Israel’s defenses on October 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 people. The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have spent months trying to mediate a cease-fire and the return of the roughly 110 remaining hostages, around a third of whom Israeli authorities believe to be deceased.
The conflict has also threatened to trigger a regional war, with Israel trading fire with Iran and its militant allies across the region.
