Israel Urges Residents of Several Khan Yunis Neighborhoods to Evacuate

Jerusalem, 3 December, 2023 (TPS) -- Israel called on residents of certain neighborhoods of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, to evacuate on Saturday morning.

The call was made on X, formerly called Twitter, by the Israel Defense Force’s Arabic language spokesperson, Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee. The military has also dropped leaflets instructing residents of Khan Yunis’s Al-Mahatta, Al-Katiba, Hamad, Al-Satar, Bani Suhaila and Ma’an neighborhoods to move to designated shelters in the Al-Fukhari, Al-Shaboura, Al-Zuhur, and Tal Al-Sultan neighborhoods.

The military published an online interactive map of Gaza that divides the Strip into more than 1,000 numbered blocs. Through the map, social media and leaflet drops, residents can know if their area is safe and follow instructions on where they can safely evacuate.

Khan Yunis is the second largest in the Strip and is considered the capital of Gaza’s southern district.

It is also regarded as a personal stronghold of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, whose family lives there. Since the war began, the IDF has eliminated two members of the Hamas ruling politburo as well as associates of Sinwar, who live in Khan Yunis.