Israel’s bombardment of southern Gaza continues while the UN warns that the security zones established are overcrowded. The Israeli military states that it has also launched a ground offensive in southern Gaza.
Two days after the seven-day pause in the fighting ended, there are no signs of a new pause. On Sunday, the Israeli military expanded its evacuation call for residents in and around Gaza’s second-largest city of Khan Yunis, as well as five other areas. Following the call, Israel continued its bombardment of both northern and southern Gaza.
No signs of another break
Two days after the seven-day pause in the fighting ended, there are no signs of a new pause.
On Sunday, the Israeli military expanded its evacuation call for residents in and around Gaza’s second-largest city of Khan Yunis, as well as five other areas. Following the call, Israel continued its bombardment of both northern and southern Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says according Times of Israel that the bombings are part of the hostage negotiations the country left on Saturday.
– We continue to talk to the enemy about the release of the hostages – we let the weapons do the talking.
On Sunday evening, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said the military had launched a ground offensive in Gaza, just north of Khan Younis, with the aim of expanding the operation “to every part of Gaza where Hamas is present”.
No safe places
Chief of Staff Herzl Halevy says according Haaretz that the forces should act “as forcefully and thoroughly as in northern Gaza”.
The UN warns that the safe zones to which Israel is urging Gazans to go are overcrowded.
– As a result of Israel’s aggression and the country’s order for people to leave the north and parts of southern Gaza, hundreds of thousands are being forced to take refuge in increasingly smaller areas in southern Gaza, says UN human rights chief Volker Türk.
– I repeat: There are no safe places in Gaza, he adds.
According to the UN’s humanitarian agency Ocha’s latest calculations, around 1.8 million – more than three quarters of Gaza’s population – are internally displaced.
The IDF states that since the start of the war almost two months ago, it has carried out “approximately 10,000 attacks” in Gaza.