Israel-Hamas war: IDF strikes Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Hezbollah positions in Lebanon
Tuesday, 5 December 2023 (11:34 IST)
The Israeli army's offensive in the Gaza Strip has moved south to the city of Khan Younis, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.
The Times of Israel newspaper reported that Israeli forces were striking targets in the city overnight, citing Palestinian sources.
It said the army attacked targets linked to Hamas, which is considered a terror group by the US, the EU, Germany and others.
Armored personnel carriers and bulldozers were also spotted in Khan Younis on Monday, according to the AFP news agency.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was taking "aggressive" action against "Hamas and other terrorist organizations" in Khan Younis.
It also warned that the main road in the north and east of the city "constitutes a battlefield."
The fighting has left Palestinians with the choice of staying put in the path of the Israeli offensive or fleeing elsewhere in southern Gaza with no guarantee of safety.
The Gaza chief of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Thomas White, lamented the situation on social media.
"Another wave of displacement is underway, and the humanitarian situation worsens by the hour," he said.
Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, added: "Nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go."
Israel strikes Hezbollah positions in Lebanon
Israel's military has again struck Helzbollah militia positions in southern Lebanon in response to what it says was shelling from across the border.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that its fighter jets "struck Hezbollah launch posts, terror infrastructure, and a military compound" in response to "launches from Lebanon to Israel" on Monday.
"In addition, in response to a launch from Lebanon to the area of Zar'it in northern Israel, the IDF struck the sources of the fire," it added.
"In order to remove a threat, the IDF struck a few other locations in Lebanese territory."
Hezbollah and the IDF have been exchanging fire since the Israel-Hamas war began.
Key developments on Monday
Welcome to our rolling updates on the conflict between Israel and Hamas for Tuesday, December 5.
On Monday, the Israeli military renewed its calls for mass evacuations around the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
UN officials and people on the ground said patchy internet and electricity access have made it difficult to follow these instructions.
An Israeli army spokesperson said: "We are not trying to displace anyone, we are not trying to move anybody from anywhere permanently."
Meanwhile, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said that almost 1.9 million people across Gaza have been displaced since October 7.
That is equivalent to more than 80% of the population in the territory.
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, called for a "political solution" to end the fighting in Gaza.
A corruption trial for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also resumed on Monday, after a hiatus prompted by the war with Hamas militants in Gaza.
