He said: “Khan Younis has been under heavy bombardment and invasion by the IDF since the beginning of December.
“It was previously declared a safe zone for Gazans for the north to come to but that designation by Israel has since been revoked, and Palestinians in Khan Younis have been told to head to a humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, a tiny coastal town with few facilities that Israel has also been bombing as of late.
“The city has seen entire residential blocks demolished, civil defense crews targeted with airstrikes, and Israeli soldiers have filmed themselves bulldozing Palestinian homes.”
Al-Mawasi had been designated as a humanitarian zone, but people on the ground reported that it hasn’t been pleasant to stay there.
Speaking to the BBC, Gazan Reem Abd Rabu said it is “not a place for human beings”.
Israel is under pressure to stop its military operations, and the International Court of Justice (ICC) has ruled that the country must ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
South Africa brought the case against Israel in the ICC.
The court, however, did not order Israel to impose an immediate ceasefire despite South Africa’s request.
Joan Donoghue, president of the court, said Israel must “take all measures within its power to prevent” killing Palestinians, causing them serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction in whole or in part of the Palestinian group, and imposing measures intended to prevent births of Palestinians.
“The court is also of the view that Israel must take measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide in relation to the members of the Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip.
“The court further considers that Israel must take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
