Israeli military orders people outside of Khan Younis hospital to leave area, prompting fears of an air strike

The Israeli military has ordered people in and around the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, in the south of Gaza, to leave the area, reported Wafa news agency on Thursday.

According to medical sources, Israeli forces directly contacted people in the area surrounding the Nasser Medical Complex, declaring it a "military operation zone" and ordering them to evacuate.

This has raised concerns that the complex may be targeted and put out of operation, especially as surrounding residential blocks are also being threatened.

Eyewitnesses told Wafa that civilians, including journalists, began to leave the vicinity amidst fear and widespread panic of a possible Israeli air strike.

Nasser Medical Complex is the only facility in southern Gaza that provides specialised services, including dialysis, neonatal intensive care, and surgery.

Its shutdown would endanger the lives of hundreds of patients and trigger a major humanitarian disaster.

There is concern that after disabling medical infrastructure in northern Gaza, the Israeli military is now systematically targeting healthcare in the south of the strip, and this could lead to a complete collapse of healthcare services in the region.

The development comes amid a near-total blackout of communications and internet services in the Gaza Strip.