Life and Death in Gaza’s ‘Safe Zone’ Bombarded by Israel

An Israeli air strike targeted a residential building adjacent to the main medical center in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people, according to hospital authorities and witnesses.

Historical Context: The Gaza Strip has been a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Gaza came under Egyptian control until the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel occupied the territory. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew its settlers and military from Gaza, but it has maintained a blockade on the territory since 2007, when Hamas took control. The region has seen multiple conflicts, with significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction.

Recent Events: On Wednesday, an air strike caused chaos near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. People were seen running in all directions, some towards the destruction and others away. Civil defense responders and bystanders sifted through the debris, searching for survivors.

Nasser Hospital is located in the western part of Khan Younis. Despite being designated as a humanitarian “safe zone” by Israel, the area has faced repeated attacks. The Israeli military’s recent evacuation order for Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest city, has affected approximately 250,000 people, according to the United Nations.

Displaced families from eastern Khan Younis are struggling to find shelter in overcrowded areas in the western part of the city. The air strike also hit a school-turned-shelter for displaced people, many of whom are living in makeshift tents.

“We were sitting in this tent, three people, and we were surprised by the rubble and dust,” said Jalal Lafi, who was displaced from Rafah. “The house was bombed without any warning, hit by two missiles in a row, one after another,” he added, covered in grey soot.

Andrea De Domenico, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territories, stated that Gaza is “the only place in the world where people cannot find a safe refuge, and can’t leave the front line.” Even in designated safe areas, bombings continue, he told reporters on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, an Israeli air strike killed a prominent Palestinian doctor and eight members of his extended family, just hours after they complied with military orders to evacuate their home and move to an Israeli-designated safe zone.

The European Hospital in Khan Younis has been rendered non-operational after Israeli forces bombarded several areas, forcing medical personnel to evacuate patients and move remaining equipment, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency. Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that only 15 out of 36 hospitals are now partially operational.

De Domenico noted that nine out of every ten people in the Gaza Strip have been internally displaced at least once, if not multiple times, since October. He estimated that 1.9 million people have been “internally displaced multiple times.”

The amount of food and other supplies entering Gaza has significantly decreased since Israel’s offensive in Rafah began two months ago, leading to widespread hunger and fears of famine.

“It’s an unendurable life,” said Anwar Salman, a displaced Palestinian. “If they want to kill us, let them do it. Let them drop a nuclear bomb and finish us. We are fed up. We are tired. We are dying every day.”

Summary:

• Israeli air strike hit a residential building near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, killing at least seven people.
• Khan Younis, Rafah, and al-Mawasi, designated as humanitarian “safe zones,” have faced repeated attacks.
• Israeli military’s evacuation order for Khan Younis affected about 250,000 people.
• Displaced families are struggling to find shelter in overcrowded areas.
• A school-turned-shelter for displaced people was also hit by the air strike.
• Gaza is described as a place where people cannot find safe refuge.
• An Israeli air strike killed a prominent Palestinian doctor and eight family members in a designated safe zone.
• The European Hospital in Khan Younis is non-operational due to bombardment.
• Only 15 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are partially operational.
• Nine out of ten people in Gaza have been internally displaced at least once since October.
• Food and supply shortages are causing widespread hunger and fears of famine.
• Displaced Palestinians express despair over their living conditions.