JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH/UN/SANAA/KUWAIT CITY - The Israeli military on Monday ordered residents in parts of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, to evacuate immediately ahead of an expected ground operation, as it intensified its offensive in the enclave.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued the evacuation order via social media platform X, warning that troops would operate with "extreme force" in targeted residential areas. He urged civilians to move westward to the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone.
Adraee added that the evacuation order did not apply to Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis.
Earlier in the day, the IDF said it had expanded its ground activities in Gaza over the past 24 hours. The escalation follows a directive on Sunday from Israeli military chief Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir to widen the campaign in both northern and southern Gaza.
The military also reported that, in coordination with the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency, it had targeted militants inside a Hamas command and control center in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza.
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The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) previously warned that the space for civilians is "shrinking dramatically" as the Israeli military continues to displace populations from many areas.
"These evacuations do not meet the requirements of international humanitarian law," the OHCHR said, adding that Israel had not provided adequate shelter or ensured basic standards of hygiene, health, safety, and nutrition for those forced to flee.
Meanwhile, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources, the Israeli army on Monday shot and killed a Palestinian boy who was allegedly throwing stones and Molotov cocktails near the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The Ramallah-based Health Ministry said "the General Authority for Civil Affairs informed us of the killing of 14-year-old Yousef Fuad Fuqaha by Israeli army gunfire in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah".
In a statement, the Israeli army said its forces had identified a Palestinian attempting to throw stones at a civilian road and hurling two bottles containing a dangerous substance at soldiers.
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Upon identifying the suspect, the forces opened fire, killing him, according to the statement. It added that the army would continue efforts to "thwart terrorism in the West Bank to preserve the security of the region's residents".
Casualties mounting
Hostilities across Gaza are causing mass casualties, many from attacks apparently on people gathering for food aid at newly established militarized sites, UN humanitarians said on Monday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the situation is worsening by the day, with its partners reporting scores of people killed and injured, apparently while gathering to receive supplies near militarized distribution centers in Rafah and Deir al-Balah.
"I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday (on Sunday). It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement.
At least 31 people were killed and dozens of others seriously injured on Sunday morning when Israeli forces opened fire near a humanitarian aid distribution point in Rafah, southern Gaza, where residents were gathering to receive aid, according to the Gaza-based health authorities. Israel denied involvement in the killing.
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Guterres called for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.
Guterres said Israel has clear obligations under international humanitarian law to agree to and facilitate humanitarian aid. The unimpeded entry of assistance at scale to meet the enormous needs in Gaza must be restored immediately. The United Nations must be allowed to work in safety and security under conditions of full respect for humanitarian principles.
OCHA said that since March 18 when a ceasefire collapsed, humanitarian partners estimate that more than 640,000 people, nearly a third of Gaza's entire population, have been displaced again across the strip.
"The latest displacement order also deprived at least 8,000 students of learning, as tens of functioning temporary learning spaces and a dozen public schools had to suspend their operations," the humanitarian office said. "These closures constitute a severe setback for children's education, limiting access to a safe and structured learning environment."
OCHA also said people in Gaza continue to suffer from frequent water shortages.
The pipeline in Deir al-Balah, which supplied at least 12,000 cubic meters every day, is still not operational and humanitarians' attempts to carry out coordinated missions to repair it have been denied. On Monday, five missions to distribute potable water in the displacement camps in Jabaliya were also denied by Israeli authorities, it said.
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Over the weekend, the world body and its partners reported bringing supplies from the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing into Gaza. More than 100 truckloads of food and medical supplies were picked up on Saturday and Sunday, bringing to more than 300 the number of truckloads picked up from the Gaza side of the crossing since it was reopened.
"One of our attempts to collect supplies from Kerem Shalom was denied," OCHA said. "Another was still ongoing, awaiting a green light from Israeli authorities, a pause in the bombing along the route, and the allocation of a viable path."
The only border crossing from Israel into the strip was kept closed over the weekend because of an Israeli holiday, preventing the UN from bringing more supplies through it since Saturday.
Houthis claim new attack
Yemen's Houthi group on Monday night claimed responsibility for launching a ballistic missile targeting Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel, which was reportedly intercepted by Israeli defense systems.
"The missile force carried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, using a ballistic missile," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
Sarea said the operation had achieved its objectives by causing disruptions, including forcing millions of Israelis to seek shelter and temporarily halting air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport. He stated that the attack was carried out in response to what he described as "Israeli crimes" in Gaza.
The IDF said earlier that it had successfully intercepted a missile launched from Yemen. The national emergency service, Magen David Adom, said there were no reports of casualties.
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Israel's Channel 12 News reported that the missile was intercepted over the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and that landings and takeoffs at Ben Gurion Airport were temporarily suspended.
According to al-Masirah TV, this was the 18th missile launched by the Houthis toward Israel since May 2.
Gulf states call for Gaza truce
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, backed Syrian sovereignty, and addressed regional security concerns, including Iran's nuclear program.
The calls were part of a final communique issued at the close of the 164th session of the GCC Ministerial Council, held in Kuwait City under the chairmanship of Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya.
The ministers condemned "attempts to displace the population of the Gaza Strip" and urged the UN Security Council to establish an independent international commission to investigate alleged violations by Israeli forces.
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They also endorsed Qatar's mediation efforts, conducted in coordination with Egypt and the United States, to secure a ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian access to civilians in Gaza. The ministers called for an end to "Israeli aggression" and emphasized the need for sustained diplomatic efforts for a lasting solution.
The Council further supported a recent call from the Cairo Arab Summit to deploy international protection forces in Palestinian territories under a UN Security Council mandate.
