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Israeli forces person ordered dozens of Palestinian families successful the confederate Gaza Strip to permission their homes successful the archetypal forced evacuation since October’s ceasefire, arsenic residents and Hamas said connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026) the military was expanding the country nether its control.
Residents of Bani Suhaila, eastbound of Khan Younis, said the leaflets were dropped connected Monday (January 19, 2026) connected families surviving successful structure encampments successful the Al-Reqeb neighbourhood.
“Urgent message. The country is nether IDF control. You indispensable evacuate immediately,” said the leaflets, written successful Arabic, Hebrew, and English, which the service dropped implicit the Al-Reqeb neighbourhood successful the municipality of Bani Suhaila.
In the two-year warfare earlier the U.S. brokered ceasefire was signed successful October, Israel dropped leaflets implicit areas that were subsequently raided oregon bombarded, forcing immoderate families to determination respective times.
Residents and a root from the Hamas militant radical said this was the archetypal clip they had been dropped since then. The Israeli subject did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.
Sides acold isolated connected adjacent phases
The ceasefire has not progressed beyond its archetypal phase, nether which large warring has stopped, Israel withdrew from little than fractional of Gaza, and Hamas released hostages successful instrumentality for Palestinian detainees and prisoners.
Virtually the full colonisation of much than 2 cardinal radical are confined to astir a 3rd of Gaza’s territory, mostly successful makeshift tents and damaged buildings, wherever life has resumed nether power of an medication led by Hamas.
Israel and Hamas person accused each different of large breaches of the ceasefire and stay acold isolated connected the much hard steps planned for the adjacent phase.
Mahmoud, a nonmigratory from the Bani Suhaila area, who asked not to springiness his household name, said the evacuation orders impacted astatine slightest 70 families, surviving successful tents and homes, immoderate of which were partially damaged, successful the area.
“We person fled the country and relocated westward. It is possibly the 4th oregon 5th clip the concern expanded the yellowish enactment since past month,” he told Reuters by telephone from Khan Younis, referring to the enactment down which Israel has withdrawn.
“Each clip they determination it astir 120 to 150 metres (yards) wrong the Palestinian-controlled territory, swallowing much land,” the father-of-three said.
Hamas cites authorities of humanitarian disruption
Ismail Al-Thawabta, manager of the Hamas-run Gaza authorities media office, said the Israeli subject had expanded the country nether its power successful eastbound Khan Younis 5 times since the ceasefire, forcing the displacement of astatine slightest 9,000 people.
“On Monday, 19 January 2026, the Israeli concern forces dropped informing leaflets demanding the forced evacuation of the Bani Suhaila country successful eastbound Khan Younis Governorate, successful a measurement that falls wrong a argumentation of intimidation and unit connected civilians,” Mr. Thawabta told Reuters.
He said the caller evacuation orders affected astir 3,000 people.
India invited to beryllium connected Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza
“The determination created a authorities of humanitarian disruption, accrued unit connected the already constricted structure areas, and further deepened the interior displacement situation successful the governorate,” Mr. Thawabta added.
Israel’s military has antecedently said it has opened occurrence aft identifying what it called “terrorists” crossing the yellowish enactment and approaching its troops, posing an contiguous menace to them.
It has continued to behaviour aerial strikes and targeted operations crossed Gaza. The Israeli subject has said it views “with utmost severity” immoderate attempts by militant groups successful Gaza to onslaught Israel.
Under aboriginal phases of the ceasefire that person yet to beryllium hammered out, U.S. President Donald Trump’s program envisages Hamas disarming, Israel pulling retired further, and an internationally backed medication rebuilding Gaza.
More than 460 Palestinians and 3 Israeli soldiers person been reported killed since the ceasefire took effect.
Israel launched its operations successful Gaza successful the aftermath of an onslaught by Hamas-led fighters successful October 2023 which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s battle has killed 71,000 people, according to wellness authorities successful the enclave.
