Israel widens evacuation orders as it shifts offensive to southern Gaza

Many of the territory’s 2.3 million people are crammed into the south after Israeli forces ordered civilians to leave the north in the early days of the two-month-old war

Israel’s military ordered more areas in and around Gaza’s second-largest city of Khan Younis to be evacuated on Sunday, as it shifted its offensive to the southern half of the territory where it says many Hamas leaders are hiding (Leo Correa/AP)

Israel’s military ordered more areas in and around Gaza’s second-largest city of Khan Younis to be evacuated on Sunday, as it shifted its offensive to the southern half of the territory where it says many Hamas leaders are hiding.

Heavy bombardments were reported overnight and into Sunday in the area of Khan Younis and the southern city of Rafah, as well as parts of the north that had been the focus of Israel’s blistering air and ground campaign.