Israeli evacuation orders cover 2/3 of the Gaza Strip.
More than half of the Gaza Strip's population of 2, 3 million people are now resettled in the city of Rafah on the border with Egypt and nearby areas. Israel orders to evacuate Palestinians now cover two-thirds of the territory or 246 square kilometers.
UN humanitarian observers reported this, writes AP.
Gaza's Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll stood at 27,478 after nearly four months of war. A quarter of Gazans are now starving, 85% of the population has been forced from their homes, and hundreds of thousands are in temporary tent cities.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman shortly after his arrival on Monday. This is Blinken's fifth visit to the Middle East since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas swept into southern Israel. During the assault, about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and the militants kidnapped about 250 more people.
At the beginning of the war, the Israeli military began ordering Palestinians in the northern half of the Gaza Strip to leave their homes to avoid possible ground combat. Israel notes that it only pursues Hamas targets and claims that Hamas terrorists are responsible for harming civilians because they fight among civilian targets.
Israeli evacuation orders have extended to parts of the southern Gaza Strip, including the city of Khan Yunis and nearby areas where Israeli ground offensives are now concentrated.
Recall that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the IDF is not going to withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip at the end of the operation against Hamas militants. Israel will not complete its military operation until it achieves its goals.
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