UPDATE - 5 Palestinians injured as Israeli army expands evacuation orders in southern Gaza

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Anadolu staff

At least five Palestinians were injured on Sunday when the Israeli army targeted areas in the southern Gaza Strip shortly after expanding evacuation orders.

The army expanded these orders to include more areas in Khan Younis after it already ordered residents to evacuate the Al Jalaa neighborhood of Khan Younis previously designated as a “safe humanitarian zone” by the army.

Medical sources at Nasser Medical Complex told Anadolu that five people were injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting two buildings in Hamed City, north of Khan Younis, shortly after residents were ordered to evacuate.

Earlier, the army ordered the evacuation of the al-Jalaa neighborhood stating it will no longer be part of the “humanitarian zone.”

It claimed that the Palestinian resistance group Hamas “operates” from the neighborhood and that it will be a “dangerous combat zone.”

Although the Israeli army has previously designated certain locations “safe,” it continued to pound these areas, causing many fatalities among Palestinians.

This marks the third time in about a week that the Israeli army has expanded its evacuation orders in Khan Younis, where it announced the start of an offensive military operation on Friday.

On Saturday, at least 100 worshippers were killed and several injured when Israeli aircraft targeted Palestinians performing fajr (dawn) prayers at the Al-Taba'een School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, Gaza City.

Despite appeals Thursday from mediators, including Egypt, the US and Qatar, to stop hostilities and reach a cease-fire and a hostage exchange agreement, Israel persists with its deadly onslaught against Gaza.

The Israeli onslaught has killed nearly 39,800 victims since October following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi