Israeli army warning on Khan Younis: Palestinians ordered to evacuate immediately, tensions rise in Gaza

Gaza City: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have issued a warning to residents of Khan Younis, Gaza's second-largest city, to evacuate the area immediately. The warning was described by the IDF as a precursor to an "upcoming unprecedented attack", under which Khan Younis, Bani Suheila and Abasan have been declared "dangerous combat zones". According to a recent report by Al Jazeera, the Israeli army carried out at least 30 airstrikes in Khan Younis since the morning of 19 May 2025, killing more than 60 Palestinians. This warning has further deepened the already worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

IDF warning and reason for attack

IDF spokesman Avichai Adraee said in a statement on social media platform X that this evacuation order has been issued to target Hamas infrastructure. According to him, rockets were recently fired from Khan Younis towards Israel, in response to which this action is being taken. The Israeli army instructed the residents to move to the Al-Mawasi area of western Khan Younis, which Israel has declared a "humanitarian zone". However, there have been attacks on Al-Mawasi before, in which 25 people were killed on 21 June 2024 and 21 on 28 May 2024, due to which questions are being raised about considering this area safe.

Displacement of Palestinians and humanitarian crisis

Khan Younis, where about 4 lakh people live, has already suffered heavy destruction in this war. In April 2024, the Israeli army claimed to have destroyed Hamas battalions in Khan Yunis, but in recent months groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad have resumed attacks. Following this latest warning, thousands of Palestinians are fleeing with their belongings to al-Mawasi in cars, donkey carts and on foot. Louise Wateridge, an official of the United Nations agency UNRWA, said, "People were already displaced from Rafah and other areas and trying to survive in Khan Yunis. Now they have no safe haven left."

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in this war which started in October 2023, most of them women and children. The ban imposed by Israel on the supply of food, medicines and fuel to Gaza from March 2, 2025 has brought 2.3 million people to the brink of starvation. 

International reaction and controversy

This action of the Israeli army is being strongly criticized internationally. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "No place in Gaza is safe anymore. This repeated displacement is breaking people mentally and physically." Turkey's Foreign Ministry warned that if the international community does not take steps to stop Israel, there could be more major conflicts in the region.

On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel plans to establish control over the whole of Gaza to prevent Hamas from receiving aid. This statement has further increased regional tensions.

History of Khan Younis and repeated attacks

Khan Younis has been the victim of Israeli attacks several times before. The city was surrounded by Israeli forces in December 2023, and Nasr Hospital was attacked in February 2024. Israeli forces withdrew from the city in April 2024, but attacks have now resumed. "My house was already turned into rubble. Now we have to flee again. We have nothing left," local resident Mohammed (70) told Reuters.

Conclusion

The Israeli military's latest warnings and attacks in Khan Younis are making an already dire situation in Gaza even worse. For Palestinian residents, this is another period of displacement and uncertainty. The silence of the international community and Israel's aggressive policies have dashed hopes for peace. Will this cycle ever stop, or will Gaza's pain continue for eternity? The world's eyes are now fixed on this crisis.