Israel has launched a long-awaited ground assault on the main city in the southern Gaza Strip, leading to a surge in casualties in local hospitals. Israeli forces have entered the eastern parts of Khan Younis and have instructed residents to stay inside shelters during the assault in the coming hours.
Rescue workers and residents described the scene at the main Nasser hospital in Khan Younis as chaotic, with scores of Palestinian dead and wounded being brought in by various means of transport. The wounded arrived at the hospital from a school that was being used as a shelter for the displaced.
The assault comes after Israeli forces dropped new leaflets on Tuesday instructing residents of six eastern and northern districts of Khan Younis to stay inside shelters due to an impending attack. The leaflets stated that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) would begin an intensive operation to destroy the Hamas terrorist organization and urged residents to stay inside for their safety.
The situation in hospitals in the southern Gaza Strip has been described as dire, with a health ministry spokesperson announcing that at least 43 corpses had already reached Nasser hospital on the day of the assault. Gaza health officials confirmed that more than 15,800 people have been killed, and thousands are missing or feared buried under rubble.
The United States has urged Israel to do more to reduce harm to civilians as the next phase of the Gaza war unfolds. Israel, in turn, has placed the blame for harm to civilians on Hamas fighters who operate among them. Hamas denies using civilians as human shields.
The situation continues to deteriorate in Gaza, with the remaining towns and shelters already overwhelmed. WHO representative in Gaza, Richard Peeperkorn, described the issue as getting worse by the hour. As the conflict intensifies, the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen, with many residents grappling with the devastating effects of the ongoing violence.