IDF declares Khan Younis a war zone, tells Gazans to evacuate to the south

KHAN YUNIS, GAZA - DECEMBER 01: Palestinians begin to migrate to areas in the central part of the city due to Israeli attacks following the end of the week-long humanitarian pause in Khan Yunis, Gaza on December 01, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces have declared Khan Younis – a Hamas stronghold in Gaza acting as a temporary headquarters – a war zone and warned residents in the nearby areas to evacuate south toward the Rafah crossing.

The military released a map Friday that divided the Gaza Strip into hundreds of numbered parcels and asked residents to locate themselves in case of an eventual evacuation.

The parcels were crudely drawn, with lines cutting across streets in some cases. The map, which Israel said would eventually be interactive, was published hours after Israel-Hamas fighting resumed, ending a weeklong truce that had been negotiated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Before the truce, the main combat zone was in northern Gaza, the focus of Israeli ground forces. Now, the Israeli military's attention appears to have shifted to southern Gaza, packed with some 2 million Palestinians, including hundreds of thousands who fled the north.