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Gazans have told The National of heavy explosions, indiscriminate firing and bodies in the streets as Israel began what it describes as an “unprecedented offensive”.
The Israeli military on Monday said it was launching an operation to “destroy the capabilities of terrorist organisations in this area”, spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X, instructing people living in Khan Younis, Bani Suheila and Abasan to move west to the coastal Mawasi region.
“From this moment, Khan Younis will be considered a dangerous combat zone,” he said.
Residents in Khan Younis reported heavy Israeli bombardment in the city centre on Monday as Israeli forces, disguised as displaced Palestinians, carried out a raid that killed a member of Al Nasser Salah Al Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, a coalition of armed Palestinian groups.
“Heavy explosions and air strikes began in Al Balad area, specifically on Street 5 in the city centre,” said Khalil Sardah, 28. “There were possibly more than 50 air strikes, along with artillery shells falling on the area one after another.
“I saw many people injured and killed in the streets, especially those who usually go out early to bake bread, fetch water, or collect firewood for cooking,” Mr Sardah added.
“I saw vehicles carrying armed men, and on top of the vehicles were belongings of displaced people. They were firing randomly in the street.”
28, Khan Younis resident
Mr Sardah said one house was surrounded by special forces and gunmen came charging out following heavy gunfire inside.
“There were a lot of quadcopters filling the sky and smoke everywhere. We realised that something serious, an operation, was happening,” he told The National.
“When things calmed down a little, we entered the house and found our neighbour, Ahmad Sarhan, who is known to work with the Al Nasser Brigades, martyred along with one of his children,” he said, referring to the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees.
“There was no one else in the house, even though he has four children. This strongly suggests the arrest of his wife and the remaining children by the Israeli special forces.”
There was no immediate confirmation of the raid from the Israeli military.
Ibrahim Al Astal, 32, who also lives in the area, said residents found “a box, a sleeping mat and several blankets that appeared to have fallen from the roof of one of the vehicles believed to have been used in the Israeli operation”.
“The way these items were arranged and tied together strongly suggested they belonged to a displaced family,” he told The National.
Israeli strikes across Gaza on Monday had killed at least 63 people by the evening, including 16 in Khan Younis, official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, quoting medical sources.
On Sunday, Israel said its troops were carrying out “extensive” ground operations throughout northern and southern Gaza as part of a new offensive called Gideon’s Chariots. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the fighting was “intense” and that Israeli forces were “making progress”.
It followed a declaration by Mr Netanyahu in a video posted to his Telegram channel on Monday that Israel plans to take control of the Palestinian enclave in its entirety.
The intensified military campaign, which Israel says aims to free remaining hostages and defeat Hamas, began as the two sides held indirect ceasefire talks in Qatar.
The death toll from the war in Gaza, which began with a deadly attack on southern Israel by Hamas and other militant groups in October 2023, rose on Monday to 53,475, health authorities in Gaza said. Another 121,398 have been wounded.
Alongside its military operations, Israel on Monday began allowing aid to enter Gaza for the first time since March 2, ending a blockade that it said was intended to force concessions from Hamas.
