The Israeli army says its troops have surrounded Khan Younis, which is the biggest city in the southern part of Gaza.
Soldiers have moved further into the city where they think Hamas leaders are hiding with hostages.
People who live there said that big military vehicles closed the only road that goes out of the city towards the coast. This means they can’t escape to the south.
There was heavy fighting near the two big hospitals in the city.
Funerals were happening for some of the 24 Israeli soldiers who were killed on Monday. It was the deadliest day for the Israel Defense Forces since they started their ground offensive in Gaza 12 weeks ago.
In the last day, 195 Palestinians died in Gaza, according to the health ministry run by Hamas.
The government says that over 25,400 people, mostly children and women, have died in the war between Hamas and Israel.
The attack happened when Hamas gunmen from Gaza crossed into southern Israel. Around 1,300 people were killed, mostly civilians, and about 250 others were taken hostage.
Israeli soldiers moved into southern Gaza in early December after mostly gaining control of Hamas areas in the north.
In a few days, they were said to have arrived in the middle of Khan Younis, where hundreds of thousands of people who had left northern areas were staying.
However, the soldiers have met strong opposition from Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade. It is one of the two most powerful groups in the group, which is labeled as a terrorist organization by Israel, the UK, and other countries.
The Israeli military has increased its efforts in recent days, using airstrikes and artillery to attack different parts of the city. Many people have been killed, and tanks have moved into the western and central areas of the city.
On Tuesday, the IDF said that its soldiers surrounded Khan Yunis and did a big operation in the area.
The soldiers fought in close combat, used air strikes, and worked together to defeat lots of terrorists.
The IDF told people in western Khan Younis to go to the al-Mawasi area by the sea to stay safe.
However, some people said that tanks were blocking the road, so they couldn’t go to Rafah where about a million people are staying for safety. Rafah is near the border with Egypt.
“I want to go to Rafah, but the tanks are close to the coast and shooting towards the west,” said Shaban, who has four kids and works as an electrical engineer, to Reuters news agency.
The World Health Organization is very worried about reports of hospitals being attacked in Khan Younis.
On Tuesday, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said that a person who was not in the military was killed by an Israeli drone at the entrance of Al-Amal Hospital, which is managed by PRCS, and that other people were hurt when shells hit its nearby headquarters.
“The situation is still very risky. ” This morning, the Palestine Red Crescent’s headquarters on the fourth floor was bombed with artillery. “Israeli drones kept shooting at people at al-Amal Hospital,” said Nebal Farsakh, a spokeswoman from Ramallah, in an interview with the BBC.
“Many scared and worried people who have been forced to leave their homes are staying in our buildings. ”
The IDF did not comment right away, but they have said before that Hamas fighters hide among civilians and use medical buildings for their operations.
Ms Farsakh also mentioned that ambulances are having a hard time getting to injured people and taking them to hospitals. They are being instructed to take serious cases to Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza.
She said that the Al-Amal and Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza are very crowded and have too many patients.
Dr Haytham Ahmad, who works in Nasser’s emergency department, told the BBC that they had to perform many amputations and some patients couldn’t get anesthesia because there wasn’t enough supplies.
“These injuries are very serious and have caused severe crushing. Only a little bit of skin and muscle are still attached. ” He said we are trying to use only a little anesthesia in this situation.
A spokesperson from the World Health Organization said that Nasser is surrounded and the 400 patients, medical staff, and displaced civilians there can’t leave.
Gaza’s health ministry said that Israeli forces shot at the top floors of the hospital’s surgery and emergency buildings.
A video made by a Palestinian journalist shows gunfire hitting the hospital’s western corner and another video shows smoke rising from an area to the south.
The IDF said they didn’t know about the event when asked by AFP news agency.
Palestinian people were told to leave their homes by the Israeli military and were seen walking along the coastal road in western Khan Younis on 23 January 2024.
Later, the leader of the United Nations, António Guterres, said that the people in Gaza are suffering a really bad situation. He said that everyone there is experiencing a lot of destruction, and it’s happening very fast and at a level that hasn’t been seen before.
He asked again for a quick break in fighting to help people in need.
Qatar’s spokesperson for foreign affairs said they are talking seriously with both groups about a possible agreement. A Palestinian official told the BBC that a group from Hamas went to Cairo to talk about new ideas with Egypt’s intelligence minister.
Israel has not said no to the idea of a two-month break from fighting, which would include letting go of hostages and Palestinian prisoners. However, there are reports that have already been turned down by Hamas. They want a ceasefire that will last indefinitely.
