Israel pounds Gaza after evacuation order
The bombardment came after a rocket barrage at southern Israel on Monday morning claimed by the militant group Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas.
Israeli forces carried out deadly strikes on Tuesday on southern Gaza and battled militants after issuing an evacuation order which a UN agency said would impact 2,50,000 Palestinians. Witnesses reported intense bombing and shelling around Khan Younis, southern Gaza's main city, from which Israeli troops withdrew in early April after a devastating months-long battle. A hospital source in the city said shelling killed eight persons and wounded more than 30 others. The bombardment came after a rocket barrage at southern Israel on Monday morning claimed by the militant group Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas. This was followed by an order to evacuate most areas east of Khan Younis and in Rafah along the borders with Israel and Egypt. The UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees estimated Tuesday that a quarter of a million people had been impacted since Israel’s army issued a new evacuation order for parts of southern Gaza a day earlier.
