Palestinians displaced by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip set up a tent camp in Rafah on Dec. 6, 2023. The Israeli military said Tuesday that its troops were “in the heart” of the southern city of Khan Younis after what it described as “the most intense day” of fighting since the start of the ground operation five weeks ago, with heavy battles in the north as well. The military accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields when the militants operate in residential areas. After the full-scale evacuation of northern Gaza ordered by Israel early in the war, most of Gaza’s population was squeezed into 230 square kilometers (90 square miles) of central and southern Gaza. Since moving into the south, the Israeli military has ordered people out of nearly two dozen neighborhoods in and around Khan Younis, further reducing the area where civilians can seek refuge by more than a quarter.

Source: Huffington Post December 06, 2023 16:05 UTC