The area in Gaza which Israel’s military has told people to go to “for their safety” has been hit by 97 strikes since May, BBC Verify analysis has revealed.
The findings come as negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appear to be nearing a breakthrough. Mediators in Qatar say talks are in their final stages, raising hopes that an agreement could be reached soon.
The “humanitarian zone” was first established by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in October 2023 to protect civilians and keep them out of harms way.
On 6 May 2024, the IDF significantly expanded the zone to include the cities of Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah.
The area – much of which is a strip of land along the Mediterranean sea – is densely populated and is estimated to have over a million people living there according to international humanitarian organisations. Many people are living in tents, with limited infrastructure and limited access to aid.
Local media reports indicate more than 550 people have been killed in the 97 strikes mapped by BBC Verify.
In a statement to BBC Verify, the IDF said it was targeting Hamas fighters operating in the “humanitarian zone” and accused the group of violating international law while “exploiting” civilians as human shields and launching rockets from the area.
Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s 7 October 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
The conflict has caused widespread damage to infrastructure across Gaza, with satellite images showing areas flattened by Israeli strikes. The Hamas-run health ministry also says more than 46,600 people have been killed within the enclave since the start of the war.
BBC Verify analysis suggests that attacks within the “humanitarian zone” have intensified since May 2024, with at least 22 strikes already recorded so far this month.
We also cannot confirm that all incidents are the result of IDF attacks. Locations of strikes documented by BBC Verify were provided to the IDF but they did not confirm or deny their involvement. Israeli military officials have only publicly acknowledged 28 attacks since 6 May.
Israel historically has not publicly acknowledged every strike it has carried out in Gaza.
Gavin Kelleher, an access manager in Gaza for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said there were “near daily” strikes within the zone, including from Israeli ships and quadcopters, or small drones.
He added that “heavy fire is recurrent in this area despite its [Israel’s] unilateral ‘humanitarian’ designation.”
“The Israeli military appears keen to maintain the illusion of a Humanitarian Zone that remains a certain size, yet that zone can be subject to ‘evacuation orders’ at any time and be targeted,” Mr Kelleher said.
One resident who lives within the zone, Khaled Abdel Rahman, told the BBC that residents were being subjected to daily bombardments, frequently resulting in injuries and casualties.
“We were displaced to Khan Younis because it was designated as a safe zone, but in fact we find nothing here but insecurity,” Mr Rahman said. “We have been denied the true sense of security, with fear dominating our lives.”
As Israel does not allow foreign reporters access to Gaza – apart from highly controlled, escorted trips with its military – international media, including the BBC, is reliant on imagery gathered by Palestinian journalists and Gaza residents.
To track attacks within the IDF’s “humanitarian area”, BBC Verify monitored Palestinian social media channels and official IDF channels on Instagram, Telegram and X. Reports of strikes that included verified imagery from within the boundaries of the zone were then cross-referenced with local media reports to determine a reported death toll.
It’s important to note that death tolls cannot be verified based solely on videos and social media reports. BBC Verify analysis excluded reports of fatalities where there wasn’t verifiable imagery which confirmed the incident happened within the IDF-defined boundaries of the “humanitarian area”.
BBC Verify reviewed more than 300 videos and photos posted since May in the “humanitarian zone”. While it is not always possible to distinguish between fighters and civilians, the footage shows scores of people, including women and children, being pulled from rubble. Some appeared lifeless, while others were severely burned or had significant limb injuries, alongside collapsed buildings, destroyed tents and burnt-out cars.
Seven of the documented strikes are reported to have killed 20 or more people each, with the most deadly on 13 July resulting in more than 90 deaths, according to the Gaza health ministry, first responders and medics.
The IDF later said Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif, was among the dead. Deif is accused of being one of the figures responsible for planning the 7 October attacks.
Nine strikes occurred within 100m of buildings belonging to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, and four within 150m of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.
The IDF told BBC Verify the strikes were conducted “against terrorists and terror infrastructures including rocket launchers, weapons warehouse and manufacturing sites, operational apartments, underground infrastructure, operational headquarters, and terrorists hideout.”
They also included links to six of their previously published statements about Hamas fighters operating in the “humanitarian zone”.
Residents in the zone also live under constant uncertainty. Including evacuation notices, the boundary of the “humanitarian area” has changed 20 times – and it has varied in size from around 7 km sq (2.7 sq miles) when it was first introduced to 72 km sq (27.8 sq miles) at its largest.
The IDF said evacuation notices “do not constitute as a reduction of the humanitarian zone. Once the danger has passed, the residents return”. But it’s unclear how residents know it’s safe to return, and the IDF has only twice posted to social media to explicitly say so. BBC Verify did not include strikes inside areas where evacuation notices were issued in our tally.
While Israel’s military has avoided using the term “safe zone”, its statements have led civilians to interpret the “humanitarian zone” as such. IDF evacuation notices include language that tells civilians – like this one which was issued in mid-December – “for your own safety, move immediately west to the humanitarian area”.
It has also described the zone as being “designated for humanitarian aid and shelters as part of the IDF’s consistent efforts to protect the uninvolved population.”
But the UN and international humanitarian organisations operating in Gaza have said there’s no such thing as a “safe zone” that is unilaterally enforced.
Juliette Touma of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, said: “We have said it so so many times. There is no safe zone in Gaza. No place is safe. No-one is safe. No place is spared.”
Additional reporting by Paul Brown.
