GAZA CITY: The Israeli military ordered more evacuations in southern Gaza on Sunday after a deadly airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in the north killed more than 100 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.
Thousands of Gazans fled the northern neighbourhoods of Khan Younis on Sunday. The new evacuation orders, which affect areas in Khan Younis, come as a response to ongoing hostilities and alleged rocket fire from Gaza. The Israeli military warned that Al-Jalaa would become a “dangerous combat zone” due to upcoming operations.
The military’s directive includes parts of a zone previously declared a humanitarian safe area. The region, already severely damaged by earlier Israeli military offensives, has been a focal point for repeated evacuations. The majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced multiple times due to the prolonged Israeli operations since October 7.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans are now crammed into makeshift tent camps or have sought refuge in overcrowded schools. The conditions are dire, with limited access to basic services and ongoing insecurity making it difficult for residents to find stable shelter.
Families were seen fleeing their homes and makeshift shelters on Sunday, carrying what little they could salvage. Amal Abu Yahia, a 42-year-old widow, described this as her fourth displacement. She and her three children had returned to Khan Younis in June to stay in their damaged home but were forced to leave again due to the recent evacuation orders. She recounted difficulties finding space in tent camps.
Ramadan Issa, a father of five, described the relentless cycle of displacement. “Every time we settle in one place and build tents for women and children, the occupation comes and bombs the area,” he said. His extended family of 17 members was among those seeking refuge in central Gaza.
The Israeli military’s airstrike hit a mosque located inside a school in Gaza City, where thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering. The Gaza Health Ministry reported more than 100 deaths and approximately 50 injuries from the attack.
“Just in the past few days, more than 75,000 people have been displaced in southwest Gaza,” said on X Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN refugee agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA. Lazzarini said the new evacuation orders sent many people fleeing from the early hours of Sunday.
“Some are only able to carry their children with them, some carry their whole lives in one small bag,” he said. “The people of Gaza are trapped and have nowhere to go.”
The army also carried out a strike in Khan Younis on Sunday, wounding several people who were treated at Nasser Hospital.
“They were all civilians and they were shopping in the market when a missile hit and left people lying in the streets,” said Awad Barbakh, a resident. The military has often returned to areas of Gaza where it had carried out operations.
The United Nations has condemned systematic attacks on schools in Gaza, which have been used as shelters since the war’s onset. According to the UN, at least 21 such attacks have occurred since July 4, resulting in numerous civilian casualties.
European leaders have condemned the strike, and US officials have expressed concern over the rising civilian death toll. Vice President Kamala Harris, addressing reporters in Phoenix, Arizona, described the situation as tragic, emphasizing the urgent need for a ceasefire and a resolution to the hostage crisis.
“Yet again, far too many civilians have been killed,” Harris said. “We need a hostage deal and we need a ceasefire. The deal needs to get done and it needs to get done now.”
Since October 7, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the territory’s health ministry reported. Israeli bombardment has also caused significant destruction and displacement in Gaza. The US, Egypt, and Qatar have been involved in mediation efforts to secure a ceasefire and address the humanitarian crisis.
