6-12-2023 (GAZA) Intense combat erupted on Wednesday (Dec 6) as Israeli forces clashed with Hamas militants in Khan Younis, the main southern city of Gaza. This marked some of the fiercest fighting in the nearly two-month war, which was triggered by the attacks on Oct 7.
Witnesses reported that Israeli troops, tanks, armored personnel carriers, and bulldozers entered Khan Younis, forcing already displaced civilians to once again pack up and flee, according to AFP.
The focus of the conflict has shifted to the southern region of the besieged Palestinian territory following heavy fighting and bombardment that left much of the north in ruins and forced an estimated 1.9 million people to flee.
Israel’s army chief, Herzi Halevi, stated on Tuesday, “Our forces are now encircling the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip. We have secured many Hamas strongholds in the northern Gaza Strip, and now we are operating against its strongholds in the south.”
AFP journalists reported that the streets of Khan Younis were nearly empty on Wednesday morning as residents sought shelter from shelling and artillery fire. Meanwhile, the city’s hospitals continued to receive the dead and wounded.
Israel declared war on Hamas following the militant group’s Oct 7 attacks, which claimed the lives of 1,200 individuals, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, and resulted in the capture of around 240 hostages.
According to the latest figures from the Hamas government’s media office, 16,248 people, predominantly women and children, have been killed in Gaza.
Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas and secure the release of the remaining 138 hostages held in Gaza after a temporary truce led to the release of numerous captives.
Army spokesman Daniel Hagari emphasized that as the military expands its operations to dismantle Hamas in Gaza, the critical mission to rescue the hostages remains a priority. He called on the international community to take action and urged the Red Cross to gain access to the hostages held by Hamas.
The high number of casualties in Gaza has prompted global concern, exacerbated by severe shortages caused by an Israeli siege that has restricted the entry of food, water, fuel, and medicine.
Hassan al-Qadi, a displaced resident of Khan Younis, expressed the dire situation, stating, “The whole city is suffering from destruction and relentless shelling. Many people arriving from northern Gaza are facing dire circumstances. Many are homeless, and some are searching for their missing children. We are not mere numbers. We are human beings,” he added, speaking from the southern city of Rafah.
The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it had targeted approximately 250 locations in Gaza over the past 24 hours, and their troops continued to locate weapons, underground tunnels, explosives, and other military infrastructure.
Hamas sources and another Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, informed AFP that their fighters were engaged in clashes with Israeli troops early Wednesday, attempting to prevent them from entering Khan Younis and its surrounding areas.
According to the Hamas media office, heavy strikes east of Khan Younis resulted in dozens of casualties. The Hamas-run health ministry reported that six people were killed and 14 others were wounded in airstrikes on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
Israel had previously advised civilians in the northern densely populated Gaza Strip to seek shelter in the south, leading many to flee to Khan Younis under the assumption that it would be safer.
The continuous orders for civilians to relocate from one area to another have drawn condemnation from international aid groups, who argue that the options for civilians are rapidly diminishing.
“Palestinians in Gaza are living in utter, deepening horror,” said UN human rights chief Volker Turk at a press conference, calling for an urgent ceasefire. He accused Israel of “collectively punishing” Gazans in response to the attacks by Hamas.
In response to demands for designated areas where civilians could seek shelter, Israel’s army released a map intended to help Gazans “evacuate from specific places for their safety if required.” However, UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, criticized the map, stating that it was not feasible to create safe zones for civilians within Gaza.
According to UN figures, approximately 1.9 million people, roughly 80% of Gaza’s population, are displaced. The fighting resumed after a Qatar-mediated truce collapsed on Friday, resulting in the release of numerous Israeli and other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
As of Wednesday, the number of Israeli troops killed inside Gaza since the start of the war has risen to 83, according to the Israeli army.
The ongoing war has raised concerns about a broader regional conflict, with frequent exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah along the Lebanese border, as well as a surge of violence in the occupied West Bank.
On Tuesday, a Lebanese soldier was killed by Israeli fire on a military post near the southern border of Lebanon, as confirmed by the Lebanese army.
