Israel orders Palestinians to leave southern Gaza area after rocket fire

 

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians to leave a wide sweep of land to the east of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis after rockets were fired towards Israel.

People in the area first received audio messages telling them to leave, before the Israeli military posted a message in Arabic repeating the warning to social media.

Witnesses say many people are already fleeing.

It comes after about 20 rockets were launched in the heaviest such attack in months, with a number intercepted and others landing in open areas with no injuries reported.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) said it launched the barrage in response to Israeli “crimes”.

The latest evacuation order covers the area around the European hospital to the south-east of Khan Younis.

Staff have begun moving some key equipment to Nasser hospital in Khan Younis and some staff and patients have also left, local reports say.

Elsewhere, fierce fighting continued for a fifth day in Shejaiya in the north of Gaza and an Israeli soldier was killed in the southern Rafah area.

On Sunday, Israel’s prime minister said its troops were engaged in a “difficult fight” across the entire Palestinian territory.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 37,900 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including 23 over the past 24 hours, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0krg2n59d9o