187 Palestinians killed in past 24 hours as Israeli army advances southward

It raised the total death toll of Palestinians to 21,507 and injuries to 55,915 since the conflict broke out on Oct 7, the ministry said.

Over the past 24 hours, intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations continued from air, land, and sea in most parts of the enclave, especially in the central and southern regions, said Palestinian security sources.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society announced that it is working with the Egyptian Red Crescent to establish the first organised refugee camp in Khan Younis, the largest city in the southern part of the enclave.

The camp, in its initial stage, will contain 300 tents, and the capacity will later be expanded to reach 1,000 tents to hold the displaced in the south, the organisation said on the social media platform X.

Thousands of Palestinians have arrived in Rafah City in recent days, following the escalation of Israeli attacks in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah in the southern territory. Rafah has now become the most populated area in Gaza, with over 12,000 inhabitants per square kilometre, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that its forces are deepening their advance in Khan Younis and are operating for the first time in the Khuza'a area on the eastern outskirts of the city.

"So far, the forces have eliminated Palestinian militants and attacked several targets, including tunnel openings, tunnel routes, and sites for launching anti-tank missiles," said Israeli spokesperson Avichay Adraee, adding the Israeli forces have found dozens of tunnel openings in Khan Younis and various weaponry, including Kalashnikov rifles, pistols, hand grenades, mines, rocket launchers, and mortar shells.

The Israeli army is operating in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip for the fourth consecutive day and is liquidating Palestinian militants in it, said Adraee.

For several days, the Israeli army has been urging residents of the Deir al-Balah governorate in central Gaza to evacuate to southern areas.

The targeted evacuation area includes about 90,000 people and six shelters accommodating about 61,000 internally displaced people, most of them from northern Gaza, according to UN estimates.