Israeli Operations in Southern Gaza; Entry of Israeli Tanks into Eastern Khan Younis

Israeli forces began their assault on the city of Khan Younis, one of the main cities in southern Gaza, on Tuesday, December 4. Reuters reported, citing local residents, that Israeli tanks have entered the eastern parts of Khan Younis for the first time, crossing the Israeli border fence and moving westward. A few days after evacuation orders were issued to residents of the area, Israeli forces released new announcements providing instructions for people to remain in shelters during the attack. Residents were warned not to go outside and to stay in the shelters and hospitals where they are for their safety. Eilon Levy, a spokesperson for the Israeli government, stated that Israeli forces have begun the second phase of their advance in Gaza to destroy Hamas, and this phase will be militarily 'challenging.' Hamas, which is financially and militarily supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, killed at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel on October 7 with a terrorist attack and took around 240 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly. In response to this action, Israel launched extensive air, sea, and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, calling for the destruction of Hamas. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, hospitals filled with dead and wounded Palestinians have also been besieged. Reuters reported that a wave of injured individuals, following an attack on a school that was being used as a shelter, has flooded into the main Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. According to Reuters, a spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, stated that at least 43 bodies were brought to this hospital on the same morning. Senior U.S. officials emphasized to their Israeli counterparts that Tel Aviv must exercise greater caution to minimize civilian casualties. This was one of the messages from Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, during his third visit to Israel. Israel's bombardment in response to Hamas's attack on southern Israel has displaced 80% of the 2.3 million residents of Gaza from their homes, with most fleeing to the south. The southern areas, already densely populated, now house three times their usual population. Since the end of a brief pause in the fighting, Israel has been publishing an online map instructing Gaza residents on which areas to evacuate. Yesterday, the eastern neighborhood of Khan Younis was marked on the map, prompting hundreds of thousands of its residents to begin fleeing on foot. Richard Hecht, a spokesperson for the Israeli army, stated, 'Civilians must pay attention to the instructions published on our Twitter accounts and website, as well as the leaflets distributed in their areas for their safety.' Gaza residents say there are no safe places left to go, and the capacity of remaining cities and shelters is currently full. On the other hand, Israel continues to bombard areas it instructs people to go to. The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, reports that more than 15,800 people have been killed so far, with thousands more missing. Richard Pipercorn, a representative of the World Health Organization in Gaza, told reporters that the situation is worsening 'hour by hour.' He stated that humanitarian aid to Gaza is 'very limited' and emphasized that this health organization is deeply concerned about the vulnerability of the health system in this densely populated area as more people are moving south. The U.S. states that the ongoing operations in southern Gaza are being conducted more targeted compared to last month's operations in northern Gaza. However, Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, emphasized in a press conference on Monday, December 4, that it is still too early for a final judgment. Thomas White, the head of the UN Palestinian Agency in Gaza, stated on social media that over 600,000 residents of this area have been told to flee from the bombardment. He wrote, 'Rafah, which has a population of 280,000 and is currently hosting about 470,000 displaced persons, cannot cope with its population doubling.' James Elder, a spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), stated that areas of Gaza designated by Israel as safe zones are in no way able to meet basic needs, and the lack of sanitation and shelter will lead to widespread disease outbreaks. As conditions in Gaza worsen, the Emir of Qatar has announced that his country is working to end the war in Gaza and to extend the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Qatar, which hosts several political leaders of Hamas, has taken on the role of mediator between Israel and this militant group. After the end of a seven-day ceasefire, Israel ordered its negotiating team in Doha to return home. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, has called on the UN Security Council to compel Israel to return to the negotiating table and described the global community's inaction in stopping the fighting as 'shameful.' The Qatari Foreign Ministry also announced that the purpose of the meeting on Tuesday, December 4, in Doha, is to adopt a unified approach among the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar - to end the war in Gaza.