Hundreds flee further south as Israeli forces advance in Khan Younis

Many displaced Palestinians in Gaza have already been forced to flee multiple times since October 7. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

Hundreds of Palestinians have fled Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis after Israeli forces advanced deeper into the area.

The Israeli military said its ground forces “encircled” the city earlier this week after 24 of its soldiers were killed in the enclave in the largest single-day toll since October 7.

Khan Younis was designated by the Israeli army as a so-called “safe zone” for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were forced to leave their homes in northern Gaza and Gaza City.

However, repeated Israeli bombardment and attacks in the south have resulted in widespread destruction and more displacement. Israeli forces targeted hospitals, ambulances and schools where thousands of civilians had been sheltering.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health has warned that Nasser Hospital and Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis are now in “grave danger”.

In Nasser Hospital, shrapnel that reached inside the buildings has threatened the lives of patients, medical staff and people sheltering there, it said.

On Tuesday, families once again picked up what was left of their belongings and fled towards the southern Rafah governorate, an already overcrowded area where disease is flourishing amid a lack of clean water, food, medicine and other basic supplies.

The cold winter months and rainy season have worsened the misery of the 1.9 million displaced Palestinians. Many have had to move repeatedly in search of relative safety, the United Nations has said.

Heavy rains and cold winds in Gaza have worsened the misery of displaced Palestinians. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

Elderly and ill Palestinians were among those forced to flee yet again. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

While fleeing, many grabbed what was left of their personal belongings amid a total siege imposed by Israel, which has severely limited the entry of basic supplies to the enclave. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

Many of those fleeing loaded their vehicles with mattresses and blankets. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

The majority of those who fled made the journey further south on foot, including children. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

An Israeli fighter jet is seen roaming the skies of southern Gaza. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

Some people waited by the sea for vehicles to pass by and offer to take them southwards. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

Some of those fleeing hopped into ambulances, which helped evacuate people to Rafah. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

A family is seen carrying their belongings and escaping the area on foot. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

The majority of those displaced are women and children. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

The United Nations says 1.9 million people have now been displaced, more than 80 percent of Gaza’s pre-war population. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

Palestinians have resorted to pulling carts as a mode of transport amid a severe lack of fuel. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

Civil defence teams help displaced families evacuate to Rafah and Deir el-Balah. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

Plumes of smoke are seen as displaced Palestinians use donkey-pulled carts to flee. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]