An Israeli strike killed at least nine people in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, Palestinian health officials reported on Tuesday. This occurred within a day of Israel ordering evacuations in parts of the city ahead of a potential ground operation.
The overnight strike targeted a home near the European Hospital, which is within the evacuation zone designated by Israel. Records from Nasser Hospital, where the casualties were taken, indicate that three children and two women were among those killed. Associated Press reporters at the hospital confirmed the count of the bodies.
Despite initial evacuation orders excluding the European Hospital, its director stated that most patients and medics had already been relocated.
On Monday, Palestinian militants fired around 20 projectiles from Khan Younis at Israel, causing no casualties or damage.
Sam Rose, the director of planning at the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), stated on Tuesday that approximately 250,000 people are in the evacuation zone. This number includes over 10% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, many of whom had previously fled from earlier conflicts, including a devastating offensive in Khan Younis earlier in the year.
Rose mentioned that another 50,000 people living just outside the evacuation zone might also leave due to their proximity to the fighting. Evacuees have been directed to seek refuge in an already overcrowded tent camp along the coast, which has limited basic services.
In May, over a million Palestinians fled the southern city of Rafah following Israeli operations there.
Israeli forces have frequently returned to areas in Gaza where they had previously operated. Palestinians and aid organizations report that no place in the territory feels safe.
Israel initiated the war in Gaza after Hamas’ October 7 attack, during which militants stormed southern Israel, killed around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and abducted about 250.
Since then, Israeli ground offensives and bombardments have resulted in over 37,900 deaths in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. The conflict has severely restricted the flow of food, medicine, and basic goods into Gaza, making the population completely dependent on aid.
On Tuesday, Israel announced plans to run a new power line to a major desalination plant in Khan Younis, a key source of clean water. Israeli officials claim this move could quadruple the plant’s water production as summer approaches.
UNICEF, the U.N. agency overseeing the plant, confirmed an agreement with Israel, calling the power delivery plan “an important milestone” and expressing eagerness for its implementation.
Despite this, Israeli bombardments have heavily damaged Gaza’s water system, and powering this plant alone is unlikely to resolve the water crisis. Many Palestinians wait in line for hours for a single jug of water to share among their families. Even before the conflict, desalination plants provided only a small portion of the strip’s potable water. The main water source, a coastal aquifer, has been overpumped, rendering most of its water undrinkable.
The top U.N. court has found a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza—a charge Israel strongly denies.
