In a significant escalation of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, more than 180,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis over the past four days. This surge in displacement comes as part of an Israeli military operation aimed at recovering the bodies of captives from the area. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), around 182,000 people have been displaced from central and eastern Khan Yunis between Monday and Thursday. Hundreds remain stranded in the eastern parts of the city, where intense hostilities continue.
The UN has reported that these new waves of displacement have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has been under severe strain for over nine months due to the ongoing conflict. The Israeli military had earlier ordered the evacuation of parts of Khan Yunis, signaling an escalation in operations in the region, including areas previously designated as safe zones for humanitarian aid.
On Wednesday, Israel announced that it had recovered five bodies of captives taken during the October 7 attack by Hamas, which ignited the current conflict. The Israeli military claimed that its forces had “eliminated approximately 100 terrorists” in the area during the week. Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi noted that the bodies were found in hidden locations within underground tunnels and walls, areas previously unknown to the troops.
The heavy fighting in Khan Yunis continues, with reports of ongoing battles in the eastern parts of the city. Nasser Hospital reported receiving 26 bodies on Friday, highlighting the severe toll of the conflict. The October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, primarily civilians, according to Israeli figures. Of the 251 people taken hostage on that day, 111 are still held in Gaza, with the military estimating that 39 of them are deceased.
In response to the ongoing violence, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has resulted in significant casualties in Gaza, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting at least 39,175 Palestinian deaths. The UN estimates that the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents have been displaced at least once due to the conflict, underscoring the widespread humanitarian impact of the ongoing violence.
