Streams of Palestinians filed into the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Monday to salvage what they could from the vast destruction left in the wake of Israel’s offensive, a day after the Israeli military announced it was withdrawing troops from the area.
Those returning found their hometown, Gaza’s second largest city, unrecognizable, with thousands of buildings destroyed or damaged. Men, women and children went down streets bulldozed into stretches of dirt, searching for their homes among fields of rubble and debris that were once blocks of apartments and businesses. On other blocks, buildings still stood but were gutted shells, scorched and full of holes, with partially shattered upper floors dangling off precipitously.
The scenes of destruction in Khan Younis underscored what has been one of world’s most destructive and lethal military assaults in recent decades, which has left vast swaths of the tiny coastal territory unlivable for its 2.3 million people. It also portended what is likely to happen in Gaza’s southernmost town of Rafah, where half of Gaza’s uprooted population is now crowded, if Israel goes ahead with plans to invade it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his pledge to invade Rafah, declaring in a video statement Monday, “It will happen. There is a date,” without elaborating. He spoke as Israeli negotiators were in Cairo discussing international efforts to broker a cease-fire deal with Hamas.
Magdy Abu Sahrour was stunned seeing his house in Khan Younis flattened.
“I couldn’t find my home because of all the destruction,” he said as he stood in front of the rubble. “Where is my place, where is my home? … It’s a tragic situation.”
Israel sent troops into Khan Younis in December, part of its blistering ground offensive that came in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and hostage-taking into southern Israel. Its withdrawal brought Israeli troops in the tiny coastal enclave to one of the lowest since the war began.
@Sw1ngStateChuckVeteran2mos2MO
Hamas should have released the hostages. Instead, they started firing rockets into civilian areas in Israel as soon as the IDF left Gaza. There can never be peace until Hamas is destroyed in its entirety.
@LocustArielGreen2mos2MO
Israel should give back our land and stop the genocide. There can never be peace until this made up country/ society is removed from that land.
@gspok2mos2MO
Hamas is the provoker of this war, and although Israel could've dealt with the situation better, Hamas are the true enemies of this conflict, not Palestinians.
@MusselOliviaForward2mos2MO
His cowardly soldiers are fighting with buildings and human shelters. They're destroying everything not to hunt Hamas but rather to displace and kill civilians to take their land. However, history told us occupiers are never successful, so for sure, they'll be defeated 1 day
@Pr0p0rtionalEvaGreen2mos2MO
Israel has killed more people in the last 30 days than Hamas has in their entire 37 year existence.
@Equ4l1tyDemocratSocialist2mos2MO
Israel will never be safe after Bibi leaves power. Do people really think that when GenZ is in power 30 years from now they're going to approve military aid to Israel? Absolutely not.
@ISIDEWITH2mos2MO
The whole World should immediately DEPORT all Israeli citizens. The whole International Community should send a permanent message that the incessant oppressing, bombing, killing, and starving of the Palestinian people WAS NEVER ACCEPTABLE!! Until a secure Palestinians State is established, National Leaders should seize all Israeli business accounts and transactions. Flip the global script, FORCE CHANGE, and make the Human Race better than before! Deport all Israelis today!!
@InaugurationOcelotSocialist2mos2MO
Iran definitely has the right to defend itself!
The sooner the better.
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