The Israeli military has ramped up its assault on the Gaza Strip, issuing fresh evacuation orders on Monday for residents in vast areas of the southern region, even as ceasefire negotiations remain at a standstill.
The latest evacuation directive targeted several neighbourhoods in Khan Younis, including Qizan al-Najjar, Qizan Abu Rashwan, Al-Salam, Al-Manara, Al-Qarain, Ma’an, Al-Batin Al-Samin, Juhor Al-Deek, Al-Fukhari, and parts of southern Bani Suheila. Civilians were instructed to relocate to shelters in Al-Mawasi, a coastal zone already overwhelmed by dire humanitarian conditions.
This escalation comes amid an intensification of Israeli airstrikes, including a recent attack on the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City that left the facility nearly destroyed. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the strike, calling for the protection of healthcare institutions. He confirmed that the hospital’s emergency room, laboratory, X-ray department, and pharmacy were completely destroyed.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the death toll from the ongoing Israeli offensive has reached 50,944 since 7 October 2023. Since the resumption of hostilities on 18 March 2024, at least 1,574 Palestinians have been killed and 4,115 injured. In the past 24 hours alone, 11 people were killed and 111 wounded.
On the humanitarian front, Gaza’s Government Media Office reported that Israel has maintained a complete blockade for over 45 days, blocking the entry of food, medicine, and essential supplies. The office labelled the ongoing siege a war crime and a violation of the Geneva Conventions, warning of Israeli attempts to control aid distribution through private security companies—described as a politicization of the humanitarian crisis.
Diplomatic efforts, meanwhile, remain inconclusive. A Hamas delegation led by senior official Khalil Al-Hayya recently concluded talks in Cairo with Egypt’s General Intelligence Service and Qatari mediators. Discussions reportedly focused on post-war governance in Gaza, including proposals for a civil administration made up of independent, non-Hamas figures. However, no agreement was reached, and talks are set to continue.
In parallel, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed families of Israeli captives in Gaza that negotiations could lead to the release of a group of ten hostages.
Tensions also flared in Jerusalem, where Hamas condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers who performed what the group called “provocative Talmudic rituals” in its courtyards. Hamas described the actions as a renewed desecration of the holy site and a move toward Judaization. The group urged Palestinians to increase their presence at the mosque and called on Arab and Islamic nations to take urgent action to defend holy sites and halt Israeli aggression.
In a joint statement, Egypt and Qatar reaffirmed the Palestinian cause as the Arab world’s central issue. They reiterated support for an independent Palestinian state and stressed the importance of national reconciliation. The statement also backed Gaza reconstruction efforts and proposed convening an international conference in Cairo to advance those efforts.
