Second battle of Khan Yunis

Second battle of Khan Yunis
Part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war
Date22 July 2024 – 30 July 2024
(1 week and 1 day)[3]
Location
Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Result Israeli withdrawal
Belligerents
 Israel  Hamas
Palestinian Islamic Jihad[1]
Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades[2]
Commanders and leaders
Israel Dan Goldfuss Hamas Mohammed Sinwar[4]
Units involved

 Israel Defense Forces

State of Palestine Palestinian Joint Operations Room

Casualties and losses
Israel Unknown
Per Hamas:
Israel 1 Namer destroyed[8]		 Per Israel:
State of Palestine 150+ militants killed[9]
State of Palestine 300 Palestinian civilians killed[10]
State of Palestine 416+ Palestinian civilians injured[11]
State of Palestine 200 Palestinian civilians missing[12]
State of Palestine 190,000+ Palestinian civilians displaced[13]

The second battle of Khan Yunis was a military engagement in the Gaza Strip that began on 22 July 2024[14] as part of the ongoing Israel–Hamas war. It marked the return of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to the Khan Yunis area inside the Gaza Strip after a previous battle and siege which lasted from December 2023 to April 2024 and ended with an Israeli withdrawal.[15][16][17]

Background

First battle

The first battle between Israel and Hamas in Khan Yunis, part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, began on 1 December 2023 and evolved into a siege in late January 2024. It ended on 7 April 2024 with the withdrawal of the IDF from not only Khan Yunis but all of the southern Gaza Strip, a move which was partially reversed with the ongoing Rafah offensive beginning in May 2024.

The IDF had failed to dismantle Hamas in Khan Yunis, with the latter firing rockets at Israel hours after the withdrawal,[18] and retaining "combat effectiveness" in the city.[19]

Evacuation order

The IDF issued an evacuation order to Palestinian civilians,[14] a move which was seen as controversial by some for supposedly allowing Hamas commanders to escape with the civilians.[20] The Palestinian Civil Defense said that the evacuation order would affect around 400,000 people.[21][22] Israel downsized the humanitarian zone where 1.7 million Palestinians took refuge and adjusted its boundaries, reducing it from 65 sq km to 48 sq km.[23]

Battle

IDF troops under the command of Brigadier General Dan Goldfuss[20] began a ground offensive into Khan Yunis on 22 July. The IDF claimed to have struck around 30 Hamas infrastructure targets with a mix of ground strikes and air strikes.[20][22] Israeli tanks advanced into and attacked multiple small towns on the eastern fringe of Khan Yunis with air support.[24][25] This included an Israeli attack on Bani Suheila, a town in the Khan Yunis area, which resulted in the deaths of 73 Palestinians and more than 270 injured.[26][27][28]

Hamas targeted IDF tanks advancing in Bani Suheila with rocket-propelled grenades and explosively formed penetrators.[25]

On 24 July, the IDF had confirmed that it had recovered the bodies of 5 Israelis, 2 civilians and 3 soldiers. They were killed during the Hamas-led 7 October attacks against Israel and their bodies were taken to the Gaza Strip by Hamas.[16]

On 25 July, it was reported that Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades were clashing with the IDF within and around Khan Yunis. According to the IDF, Hamas attempted to fire several rockets into Israeli territory from Khan Yunis, but these failed and fell near an UNRWA-run school, injuring several people and killing two.[29][30]

On 30 July, the IDF withdrew from Khan Yunis, and Palestinians began returning to their homes in the area.[31]

Aftermath

Days later on 9 August, the IDF invaded Khan Yunis a third time, and withdrew once more from the area on 30 August.

References

  1. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, JULY 24, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. 24 July 2024.
  2. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, JULY 25, 2024". 25 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Israeli forces quit east Khan Younis, Palestinians recover dozens of bodies". Reuters. 30 July 2024.
  4. ^ https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/order-battle-hamas%E2%80%99-izz-al-din-al-qassem-brigades-part-2
  5. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  6. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  7. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  8. ^ "Qassam and al-Quds Brigades claim attacks on Israeli military". Al Jazeera. 24 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Israeli army says Khan Younis invasion complete". Al Jazeera. 30 July 2024.
  10. ^ https://aje.io/7tvo9m?update=3080855
  11. ^ https://aje.io/bo0wuu?update=3068295
  12. ^ "Israeli army says Khan Younis invasion complete". Al Jazeera. 30 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Israeli army says Khan Younis invasion complete". Al Jazeera. 30 July 2024.
  14. ^ a b "IDF orders evacuation of part of Gaza safe zone, says Hamas deeply embedded in area". The Times of Israel. 22 July 2024.
  15. ^ Picheta, Vasco Cotovio, Rob (2024-04-07). "Israeli military says it has withdrawn forces from Khan Younis after months of fighting". CNN. Retrieved 2024-04-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ a b Fabian, Emanuel (25 July 2024). "IDF names 5th hostage whose body was recovered by troops in Gaza as Ravid Katz". The Times of Israel.
  17. ^ "IDF ends active ground invasion, completely withdraws from southern Gaza". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-04-07. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  18. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (7 April 2024). "Five rockets fired from Khan Younis at Gaza border communities, hours after IDF withdraws ground troops". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  19. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, APRIL 7, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  20. ^ a b c "IDF reinvades Khan Yunis after 3.5 month break as it draws down some forces from Rafah". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-07-22. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  21. ^ Gadzo, Mersiha. "Israel-Palestine conflict | Live updates | Today's latest from Al Jazeera". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  22. ^ a b Al-Mughrabi, Nidal; Rabinovitch, Ari; Khaled, Hatem (22 July 2024). "Israel sends tanks back into Khan Younis area, 70 killed after new evacuation order". Reuters.
  23. ^ Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (22 July 2024). "Israel sends tanks back into Khan Younis area, 70 killed after new evacuation order". Reuters. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  24. ^ "'Like doomsday': 70 killed in Israeli tank shelling, strikes on Khan Younis". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  25. ^ a b "IRAN UPDATE, JULY 22, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  26. ^ Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (22 July 2024). "Israel sends tanks back into Khan Younis area, 70 killed after new evacuation order". Reuters. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  27. ^ Rasgon, Adam; Bigg, Matthew Mpoke; Stevenson, Alexandra; Fuller, Thomas (2024-07-23). "Rival Palestinian Factions Project Unity, but Deep Divisions Remain". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-26. The Gazan Health Ministry said that 73 people had been killed by Israel's bombardment of the area on Monday, including 24 children. More than 270 others were injured, some severely, the ministry said.
  28. ^ "At least 39,090 Palestinians killed in Gaza since Oct. 7: Ministry". Al Arabiya. Agence France-Presse. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024. According to the health ministry, the death toll from an Israeli operation launched in Khan Younis on Monday rose to 73, including 24 children and 15 women, with more than 270 wounded.
  29. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, JULY 25, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  30. ^ "Failed Hamas launches hit UNRWA school, killing civilians". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-07-25. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  31. ^ "Israeli forces quit east Khan Younis, Palestinians recover dozens of bodies". Reuters. 30 July 2024.
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