Conflict between Israel and Gaza: Khan Younis inhabitants report that Israeli attacks have been the most severe since the war began
Israel has conducted powerful aerial assaults on Khan Younis, located in the southern part of Gaza, which locals have described as the most violent bombardment since the onset of the conflict.
The Israeli military has instructed individuals living in the city's eastern regions to move further south.
Israel suspects that several Hamas leaders are present in the city, which is currently serving as a refuge for numerous civilians who have escaped from the north.
The health department controlled by Hamas in Gaza reports that a minimum of 193 individuals have lost their lives in the recent series of assaults by Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reignited their campaign against Hamas in Gaza on Friday. This action was taken in retaliation to the assaults on Israel on October 7, which resulted in approximately 1,200 casualties.
The health department managed by Hamas reports that the death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 15,200 individuals.
Israel recommenced its airstrikes on Gaza following the termination of a brief truce on Friday. The IDF reported that it had successfully targeted over 400 Hamas "terror sites" on the first day of the resumed mission.
Since the conflict restarted, Israel has constantly been the target of rocket attacks from Gaza, including a volley directed at Tel Aviv and its nearby regions in central Israel on Saturday night.
After the incident, the ambulance service of Israel reported that they provided medical assistance to a 22-year-old male who suffered "minor injuries from shrapnel" to his head in Holon, a city located just below Tel Aviv.
During a meeting on Saturday night, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to persist with the Israeli military mission until they have "accomplished every objective" in dismantling Hamas and ensuring the safe return of the hostages.
He admitted that "we have a difficult battle to face".
Khan Younis and Rafah city, located near the Egyptian border, were among the regions heavily bombarded by air strikes. The subsequent stage of the attack is expected to concentrate on the southern part of Gaza.
Several hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge in the area, following directives to evacuate the northern part of the territory, which was primarily targeted by Israel during the initial phases of the war.
The Arabic-speaking representative of the IDF shared maps on social media showing the regions civilians should vacate. He advised those living to the east of Khan Younis to move further south towards the shelters in Rafah, suggesting that a ground attack might be on the horizon.
After weeks of battle, hospitals, already functioning with scarce resources, were flooded with injured individuals. In particular, at Nasser Hospital located in Khan Younis, some victims had to receive treatment on the ground due to the overload.
"An evening of terror," said Samira, a mom to four kids, in an interview with Reuters. "It was among the most dreadful nights we've experienced in Khan Younis during the last month and a half since we moved here… We're terrified they might invade Khan Younis."
James Elder, a representative of Unicef, who was present in Khan Younis on Saturday, informed the BBC that the hospitals were already overwhelmed with victims even before the attacks started again.
"He emphatically stated that the hallways were stained with blood, and once more, mothers were seen clutching infants who appeared to have been fatally injured."
The charity, Palestinian Red Crescent, verified that 100 trucks carrying aid were permitted to cross into Gaza from Egypt on Saturday. However, on the preceding Friday, no relief goods were transported into the region.
Negotiations to establish another interim truce and to ensure the safe return of the individuals abducted on October 7, who are still in Gaza, fell through on Saturday.
An authority from Palestine who is knowledgeable about the discussions informed the BBC that the talks were entirely at a standstill, with no communication or efforts to establish a new ceasefire.
Israel declared on Saturday that it was withdrawing its Mossad intelligence service negotiators from discussions in Qatar, due to a stalemate in the negotiations. Qatar has been serving as a go-between in these talks.
Saleh al-Arouri, the second-in-command of Hamas's political department, informed Al Jazeera on Saturday that "there are currently no ongoing negotiations" and that there won't be any prisoner swaps with Israel until the conflict ends.
During a discussion with the Egyptian president, US Vice President Kamala Harris asserted that the US would under no conditions allow the compulsory displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank, the encirclement of Gaza, or any alteration to Gaza's border lines.
She also repeated the stance of the US, affirming that Israel has the right to protect itself.
While at the UN's COP28 climate conference in Dubai, she informed Abdul Fattah al-Sisi that any attempts at peace would only be fruitful if they were directed towards a definite political future for the Palestinians, one that involves the establishment of their own state under a rejuvenated Palestinian Authority.
During the briefing on Saturday, Mr. Netanyahu applauded the liberation of 110 hostages from Israel, including women, children and a few individuals from other countries.
"Glad to see you return from the nightmare," Mr. Netanyahu remarked.
The captives were let go in return for the liberation of 240 Palestinian detainees, specifically women and adolescents.
The majority of the approximately 140 prisoners still in Gaza are males and members of the military.
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