The Israeli military has begun an invasion of the southern Gaza Strip, according to a New York Times analysis of satellite images. This is evidence of a long-awaited operation that could decide the fate of the war with Hamas and put Palestinian civilians in even greater danger.
After conquering large parts of the northern Gaza Strip since the end of October, Israeli troops have now advanced into the last part of the area that was previously completely under Hamas control. Their move sets the stage for what is likely to be the decisive battle of the war: a showdown in Khan Younis, the largest city in the south, where Israeli officials believe Hamas’ military and political leadership has sought refuge since fleeing the north.
New satellite images collected at 9 a.m. local time on Sunday and analyzed by The Times showed that the Israeli military had reached a position south of Deir al Balah, about 3 miles north of the center of Khan Younis. The images showed dozens of armored vehicles in the area and berms built to fortify their positions, vehicles and activity that closely resembled previous Israeli operations in the north. The images also showed tracks and clearings, most likely from bulldozers.
The Israeli military declined to comment, but its generals have said in recent days that its forces were operating across the Gaza Strip, without clarifying what that meant.
The invasion of the south is expected to be the most intense phase of a war that is already the deadliest in the Arab-Israeli conflict since Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and marked the largest displacement of Palestinians since the wars surrounding Lebanon The result was the founding of Israel in 1948.
Since October 7, when Hamas launched surprise attacks that Israeli officials said killed about 1,200 people – the deadliest day in Israel’s history – Gaza’s health authorities say airstrikes and the Israeli military’s invasion have left them dead More than 15,500 people were killed in Gaza.
Most of Gaza’s population now lives in the south of the territory, as some 1.8 million people, or more than 80 percent of the population, have been displaced.
The invasion is expected to worsen terrible living conditions in an area already heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes, marred by regular communications blackouts and overcrowded with displaced civilians struggling with the spread of disease and shortages of water, food, fuel and medical equipment.
The high death toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza have sparked widespread international outrage and concern among the Biden administration, Israel’s main foreign ally. U.S. officials say they have pushed Israeli forces to be more precise at this stage of the war to limit civilian casualties, even though hundreds of people have died since hostilities resumed following the collapse of a week-long ceasefire last week.
Israeli leaders say they are taking steps to reduce civilian deaths but are pressing ahead with efforts to topple Hamas to prevent a repeat of the Oct. 7 attack.
In addition, 180 trucks carrying humanitarian aid were sent to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing on Monday, Israeli authorities said. The trucks carried food, water, shelter equipment, medical supplies and fuel.
There have been frequent clashes between Israel and Hamas since Hamas captured Gaza from a rival Palestinian group in 2007, a year after winning a national election – but Israel has never tried to expel Hamas from the area. Along with Egypt, Israel imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, restricting the import of certain goods and the departure of most people.
But Israel largely maintained a status quo in which Hamas was allowed to retain power. That calculus changed after the Oct. 7 attack, which led Israeli leaders to crush Hamas and destroy its leadership.
The invasion of the south increases the urgency of a discussion about what Israel should do with Gaza if and when it actually conquers the entire territory.
The Israeli government says it does not want to resettle some of its citizens in Gaza as it did between 1967 and 2005. But it has also ruled out handing over the enclave to the Palestinian Authority, the body that administered parts of the occupied West Bank that controlled Gaza before it was overthrown by Hamas in 2007.
— Patrick Kingsley and Christoph Koettl report from Jerusalem and New York