Israel Tightens Humanitarian Zone Boundaries, Urges Khan Yunis Evacuations for Hamas Operation

The Israeli military continued its operations against Hamas in central and southern Gaza over the past 24 hours. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) adjusted the boundaries of the Al Mawasi humanitarian zone due to “significant terrorist activity and rocket fire” and urged residents of certain neighborhoods in Khan Yunis to evacuate ahead of new operations. According to IDF reports on Monday morning, Muhammad Abu Seidu, a Hamas Nukhba Force member involved in the October 7 attack on Israeli communities, was killed. Seidu had directed multiple attacks against Israeli forces in Gaza.

In the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, IDF troops engaged in close-quarters combat, eliminating dozens of terrorists. The Israeli Air Force conducted strikes on approximately 35 targets throughout Gaza, including terrorists, military structures, Hamas infrastructure, and a rocket launcher aimed at Israeli territory.

The IDF stated that the adjustment to the humanitarian zone’s boundaries was necessary due to intelligence indicating that Hamas had embedded terrorist infrastructure in the area. Consequently, it became too dangerous for Israeli forces to remain there. The army called on residents of eastern Khan Yunis neighborhoods to evacuate to Al Mawasi to avoid upcoming military actions against Hamas.

Hamas’s attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7 resulted in at least 1,200 deaths and the capture of 252 Israelis and foreigners. Of the 116 hostages still held, more than 30 are believed to have died.