Evacuation of Khan Yunis: 83% of Gaza Strip Unavailable to Civilians
29.07.2024
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3 minutes
Another evacuation order from Khan Yunis highlights the extremely unstable conditions refugees in the Gaza Strip are living under. Just two months ago, during the evacuation of Rafah, Khan Yunis was pointed out as a safe destination. Now, a total of 83% of the Gaza Strip’s territory is inaccessible to civilians – these are areas that have been evacuated or declared “no-go” zones by the Israeli army. Many of those fleeing Khan Yunis are heading towards Deir al-Balah, where Jordanian doctors from the Polish Medical Mission are working.
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The Polish Medical Mission continues to provide aid in the Gaza Strip. Medical teams in the hospital in Deir al-Balah are organized in cooperation with the Polish Medical Mission and its Jordanian partner JHAS (Jordan Health Aid Society). Doctors travel there on monthly rotations, bringing medicines and supporting the daily work of the Palestinian hospital staff.
Since Monday, over 150,000 people have been forced to leave the eastern part of Khan Yunis – a result of the evacuation order issued by the Israeli army. Shortly after the order was issued, attacks on the city began. The Palestinian side reports that at least 80 people have died in these attacks. Those who manage to escape are heading to places like Deir al-Balah, where the hospital staff is supported by Jordanian doctors from the Polish Medical Mission. “People evacuating from Khan Yunis now are often doing so for the fifth or sixth time during this nine-month war,” comments Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart from the Polish Medical Mission. “According to the UN, almost two million Palestinians have fled their homes. This means that nine out of ten people in the Gaza Strip are internally displaced.”
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Deir al-Balah and the western part of Khan Yunis, where civilians are currently moving, were already significantly overcrowded. It’s no surprise: 83% of the Gaza Strip is no longer realistically accessible to civilians. The majority of the over 2-million population of the Gaza Strip is trying to find refuge on the remaining slivers of land deemed “safe.” “The areas to which civilians are evacuated are safe in name only; bombs fall there too, and people die. Attacks often start before the refugees manage to set out on their journey,” adds Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart. The number of Palestinian casualties exceeds 39,000, including over 500 healthcare workers. On the Israeli side, there are over 1,200 casualties, mainly from the Hamas attack on October 7.
