The Israeli army released a statement on Thursday morning confirming that the 36th military division has completed its operations in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, and is now preparing for its upcoming tasks in Gaza City. The statement explained that the division, which includes fighters from the Golani Brigade and the 188th and 900th combat brigades, has been working over the past few months to establish operational control in the area and set up the “Magen Oz” axis, a strategic route extending through Khan Younis from west to east.
The Israeli military statement noted that “the division contributed to eliminating hundreds of terrorists, including those involved in the events of October 7,” highlighting that the division destroyed dozens of kilometers of tunnels and trenches in the Gaza Strip.
The army’s statement addressed all residents of Gaza City and those in all its neighborhoods, from the old city and Tuffah in the east to the sea in the west. It added: “The Defense Forces are determined to settle Hamas and will operate with significant force in the Gaza City area, as it has done throughout the sector,” stressing the need for immediate evacuation through the Al-Rashid corridor towards the humanitarian area in Mawasi.
The Civil Defense in Gaza reported the bombing of 5 high-rise buildings within 72 hours, comprising 209 apartments, noting that more than 4100 children, women, and elderly people have become homeless. A few days ago, Israel began a gradual campaign of demolishing high-rise residential buildings, increasing the number of displaced families and pushing them into harsh displacement conditions. Observers warn that the goal is to forcibly push Palestinians to migrate southward, as part of a broader Israeli-American plan to displace them outside the Strip.
