SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: Amy, I’m just coming from the south of Gaza, from Khan Younis, where people are talking of a very brutal assault on southeastern Khan Younis, particularly in the area of Khuzaa. They say this was worse than Shejaiya, the Gaza City eastern town that was attacked on Sunday in the bloodiest day of the conflict. People say the attacks began Tuesday night, the Israeli military moving in, firing very heavily with shelling—shelling, F-16s and drone attacks.

I spoke to multiple residents who said they tried to get out beginning yesterday morning. They walked out; they found Israeli tanks blocking the main streets. One group said that the Israeli tanks started firing on them. They fled back to their homes. They had to leave the wounded behind. They spent a harrowing 24 hours trying to go from house to house. They said each house they went to was shelled. And they finally ended up walking out, holding white flags and their hands above their heads, only Wednesday morning.