14 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks in Khan Younis: Health authorities

Gaza, July 22 (IANS) At least 14 Palestinians were killed, including six children and four women, while 36 others were injured in Israeli attacks in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on Monday, the Gaza-based health authorities said.

The Nasser Medical Complex in the city has called on locals to "urgently donate blood, for the benefit of the wounded and sick inside the complex, given the severe and major shortage of blood units", the health authorities said, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israeli warplanes launched an intensive bombardment on the eastern neighbourhoods of Khan Younis after the issuance of immediate evacuation orders. The eastern areas began to witness mass displacement towards the city's west, especially Al-Mawasi, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Monday morning that it "is about to forcefully operate against the terrorist organisations and therefore calls on the remaining population left in the eastern neighbourhoods of Khan Younis to temporarily evacuate to the adjusted Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi".

"The calls for the temporary evacuation are being communicated to the residents through SMS, phone calls, and media broadcasts in Arabic," it added.

On Sunday, the Gaza-based health authorities said the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 38,983.