The withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip revealed mass destruction of water lines feeding the so-called humanitarian zone.
The Palestinian Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip affirmed on Friday that the IOF destroyed water lines feeding the Israeli-declared humanitarian area during its military operation in Khan Yunis.
The Director of the Supply and Equipment Department in the Civil Defense, Muhammad al-Mughayyir, said in media statements that 10 dead bodies were found following the IOF withdrawal from the city on Friday morning, after a “military operation” that lasted 22 days.
He added that “the IOF also destroyed the main water lines in the targeted area”.
“The army’s withdrawal revealed widespread destruction of infrastructure, facilities, residential and vital buildings, and roads,” he added.
He pointed out that the Civil Defense crews are searching for missing persons under the rubble and in the roads and streets.
On August 8, the IOF issued new evacuation orders in Khan Yunis in preparation for launching a massive military operation.
Over the past three weeks, the IOF intensified its airstrikes, artillery, and heavy machine gun fire, targeting Palestinian homes and displacement tents in Khan Yunis and other areas of the Gaza Strip, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, most of whom were displaced children and women.
Since October 7, 2023, the IOF has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in catastrophic humanitarian and health conditions, due to the continuous bombing and the prevention of supplies of food, water, medicine, and electricity.
The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights, as it exposes the lives and property of civilians to extreme danger, which requires urgent intervention from the international community to stop the aggression and protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.
This international community must force the IOF to adhere to international laws and treaties on human rights and international humanitarian law. They must be obliged to protect the rights and lives of civilians, prohibit their targeting and preserve their safety, and punish the leaders responsible for committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere.
