Israel ordered the evacuation of some 400,000 Palestinians from eastern Khan Yunis, a designated ‘safe zone,’ giving them minutes to flee the subsequent carpet-bombing of the area. Leaflets were dropped on July 22, demanding the already-displaced residents of the area to flee to Al-Mawasi, south of the city, a site of another massacre committed by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) mere days ago.
On Saturday, July 13, the IOF killed at least 90 Palestinians in the military operation, with over 300 injured, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The most recent Israeli assault today resulted in the killing of 70 Palestinians and the critical injury of 200 more. Reuters reported that Palestinians in towns near the eastern side of Khan Yunis were fired at as bombs fell from the skies. Meanwhile, “tanks advanced for more than two kilometers into Bani Suhaila, forcing residents to flee under fire.”
Al-Mawasi, a refugee camp in Southern Gaza “filled with hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians living in tents,” was also designated as a “safe zone” by the Israeli regime.
The al-Mawasi Massacre of July 13
It was reported by Palestinian journalist Firas Abu Sharkh, that the IOF “directly targeted Civil Defence and Ministry of Health teams working to recover the dead and wounded in Mawasi.” Euro-Med Monitor shared on X, that “an Israeli drone equipped with a machine gun opened fire at ambulances, rescue crews, and civilians who were trying to evacuate the wounded.”
Survivors of the al-Mawasi attack spoke to The Middle East Eye and recounted their experience. Palestinians compared the scenes they witnessed to what they imagined the day of judgment would look like, reiterating that there is no place else to go in Gaza. One of the displaced Palestinians interviewed asked: “Should we dig our own graves and bury ourselves?” Many Palestinians consider the psychological torture and physical exhaustion of being continuously displaced and maimed in Gaza to be worse than martyrdom.
The New Arab reports that this operation was the “deadliest” onslaught Gaza has experienced in weeks. Israel openly admitted to having dropped five 2,000-pound bombs on the tent camp.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington today. His itinerary includes a meeting with President Biden and VP Harris, in what media outlets have described as a “critical” visit for “prospects of a ceasefire in Gaza.” Netanyahu is also scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday, likely facing swarms of protesters at the Capitol demanding his arrest and an end to the genocide in Gaza.
Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected ceasefire deals since October.
