Israeli troops begin operations in southern Gaza

Israel Defense Forces troops are moving through the southern Gaza Strip. This was confirmed this Sunday by the IDF Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi, who assured there would be an intensity in the fighting similar to that seen in the northern Gaza Strip.

"It will be no less powerful than [the operations in northern Gaza], the results will be no less [significant]," Lieutenant General Halevi assured of the troops of the Gaza Division in southern Israel. "Hamas commanders will meet the IDF everywhere."

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari formally confirmed the chief of staff's words shortly after in a statement. He reported that from that moment on, Israeli troops would be present in all parts of the Gaza Strip.

The words from the Israeli military confirmed the speculation of several observers of the conflict, who, citing Palestinian sources, gave warnings that IDF tanks were approaching the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Along with Rafah, Khan Younis is the largest population center in the south of the Gaza Strip and the place where most of the northern inhabitants moved at the beginning of the fighting that followed the Oct. 7 massacre.

Khan Younis is barely 5 miles from the border with Egypt. The city is separated by approximately 9 miles of road from the Rafah border crossing, through which Egyptian authorities allowed the passage of some Palestinians with dual nationality as well as access to humanitarian material that arrived in Palestine from the Sinai Peninsula during the truce in November.

Evacuation and war zone

Israeli authorities called for the mass evacuation of Khan Younis Monday. The IDF informed the local population to avoid the main highway in Gaza, Saladin Avenue, crosses the territory from north to south.

Instead of using Saladin Avenue to head south, the IDF intends for Palestinian civilians to travel to the center of the Gaza Strip through other secondary routes. IDF Arabic spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Saladino Avenue would be considered a "battle zone."

Israel casualties increase

This Monday, the IDF announced the death of three more Israeli soldiers. According to military sources, the soldiers were killed during clashes against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. This brings the casualty count up to 75 since the beginning of the Israeli ground operation.

Two were young members of the engineering corps, aged 22 and 19. The other was a 36-year-old sergeant major who was part of the 55th reserve parachute brigade.