Israel issued fresh evacuation orders overnight covering parts of southern Gaza as it continued its assault on the enclave, despite global condemnation of a devastating strike on a school turned shelter.
The Israeli military issued orders to clear part of the city of Khan Younis early Sunday, including part of an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone from which the military said rockets were fired. The order came a day after an Israeli airstrike on the al-Tabin school in Gaza City reportedly killed more than 100 people who had sought refuge there.
The area affected by the new evacuation order is one of the largest in the 10-month conflict. The announcement was posted on X and sent via text messages and audio messages to residents’ phones.
“For your own safety, you must evacuate immediately to the newly created humanitarian zone. The area you are in is considered a dangerous combat zone,” it reads.
The Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza said more than 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded on Saturday when Israel launched an attack on al-Tabin school in Gaza City.
The school – the eighth targeted by Israel in recent weeks – was being used as a shelter by Palestinians displaced by fighting and devastation across Gaza.
The head of the Gaza government’s media office told Tel Aviv Tribune that the Israeli military used three bombs, each weighing 907kg, in its attack.
He said Israel was aware of the presence of displaced people sheltering inside the school.
The Israeli military said its air force struck a “command and control center” that “served as a hideout for Hamas (Palestinian group) terrorists and commanders.”
Condemnation of the strike has been widely shared. Tor Wennesland, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, joined the movement last night.
“Every day, civilians continue to bear the brunt of this conflict, amidst endless horror, displacement and suffering. The human cost of this war is evident with each passing day, as we witnessed yet another devastating strike on a school housing thousands of displaced Palestinians, leaving dozens dead,” he said in a statement.
Noting ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement, the statement concluded by stressing that “an end to this nightmare is long overdue.”
Tens of thousands of people left their homes and shelters overnight, heading west towards al-Mawasi and north towards Deir el-Balah, places already overcrowded with hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
Maha Freih told Tel Aviv Tribune it was the eighth time she had been displaced since the Gaza war began in October.
“It’s only been a week since I came home to rebuild it. But I don’t think I’ll ever get my house back,” she said.
“We are subjected to humiliation and excruciating suffering. We do not know where to go. There is no safe place in the entire Gaza Strip. Anyone who dares to say that there is a safe area is a liar.”
Hani al-Fajm, another displaced Palestinian, said it was the third time he had been displaced in a short period of time, and the sixth since the war began.
“We had been back home for five days when we were suddenly asked to leave again,” he said.
According to the UN, most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced from their homes, while the besieged enclave has been largely reduced to rubble.
UN and Palestinian Authority officials say there are no safe zones in the Gaza Strip, as areas previously designated as humanitarian zones have been repeatedly shelled by Israeli forces.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing nearly 1,200 people and capturing about 250 others. About 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, while many more are believed to be lying under the rubble of the devastated enclave.