Israel orders southern Gaza evacuation; Hamas ceasefire talks stall

Israel orders Palestinians to evacuate Khan Yunis

On Sunday morning, the Israeli military posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) ordering Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to immediately evacuate half a dozen areas in and around Khan Yunis.

The military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee instructed them to move to what he described as "well-known IDP (internally displaced person) shelters" west of the city, including south toward Rafah, and included a map highlighting the areas.

A CGTN crew was present on Saturday as a series of Israeli bombs landed on Khan Yunis and filmed the blasts and the terror of civilians as they fled for their lives. (SEE VIDEO ABOVE)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel was coordinating with the U.S. and international organisations to define "safe areas" for Gaza civilians.

But U.N. officials and people in Gaza say it is difficult to heed Israeli evacuation orders in real time because of patchy internet access and no regular supply of electricity amid Israel’s military offensive.

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Death toll rising

Seven Palestinians were killed and several injured in an Israeli raid on a house east of Rafah city in southern Gaza, the Hamas-led interior ministry said on Sunday.

Planes also destroyed several houses in Al-Karara town near Khan Yunis overnight, killing several people, including children, according to Palestinian health officials.

Gaza's health ministry said earlier at least 193 Palestinians had been killed since the week-long truce ended on Friday, adding to the more than 15,000 Palestinian dead since the start of the war. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas following its Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel, in which it says 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage.

Israel targets southern Gaza

Gaza health officials said that in addition to the death toll, 650 people had been wounded since the truce collapsed.

The first aid trucks since the end of the truce entered from Egypt through the Rafah crossing on Saturday, Egyptian security and Red Crescent sources said. Some 100 trucks passed through, they said.

The warring sides blamed each other for the collapse of the truce, during which Hamas had released hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Israel said it had recalled a team from Qatar, host of indirect negotiations with Hamas, accusing the Palestinian faction of reneging on a deal to free all the women and children it was holding.

But Saleh Al-Arouri, deputy head of Hamas, said none of the people the group was holding would be exchanged with Israel unless there is a ceasefire and all Palestinian detainees in Israel are released.

Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks stall

Al-Arouri told Al Jazeera TV that Israeli hostages held by Hamas were soldiers and civilian men who previously served in the army.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was heading to Qatar to work on a new truce.

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