Israel Returns Tanks to Khan Younis; At Least 70 Palestinians Killed

Israeli tanks entered Khan Younis following an order for civilians to evacuate from certain areas, an event that was accompanied by bombardment of Khan Younis, resulting in the deaths of at least 70 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. Reuters reports that these 70 Palestinians were killed on Monday due to Israeli tank fire on the Bani Suheila settlement and other settlements located in eastern Khan Younis. Residents of this densely populated area in southern Gaza say that Israeli tanks advanced more than two kilometers into Bani Suheila, forcing residents to flee under fire. The Gaza Health Ministry has stated that dozens of women and children are among the dead, and at least 200 others have been injured. This ministry does not separate the casualties of militants from civilians. The Israeli army issued an evacuation order for a 'safe' area in the Gaza Strip, stating that the order for civilians to evacuate from eastern Khan Younis was based on intelligence indicating that Palestinian militants were firing rockets from those areas at Israeli forces, and Hamas was attempting to reorganize there. The Israeli army's statement says that its forces targeted 30 bases used by 'terrorists' in Khan Younis on Monday, including an area from which rockets were fired towards Nirim, located in southern Israel. According to Palestinian officials, about 400,000 people live in the areas targeted on Monday, and Israel did not give them time to leave before the attacks began. Some families left the area by cart, while others fled on foot. The Palestinian Red Crescent also announced that two clinics under its supervision located in eastern Khan Younis have been closed due to the new attacks. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the war in this strip, which began on October 6 last year with an attack by the extremist group Hamas, has resulted in more than 38,900 deaths. Hamas's attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 Israelis, most of whom were civilians. About 250 people were taken hostage, with Israeli officials stating that about 120 of them are still detained and it is believed that about one-third of them may have been killed.