Israel launches air and floor offensive on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza

[ad_1] Israel has launched substantial air raids and a floor operation in Gaza, concentrating on Deir al-Balah, the primary hub for humanitarian efforts within the devastated Palestinian territory, amid rising warnings of widening hunger within the coastal strip.

The newest assault comes a day after the best dying toll in 21 months inflicted by the Israeli navy on desperate Palestinians seeking food aid , with no less than 85 killed on Sunday in what has turn out to be a grim and nearly each day slaughter.

The UN meals company, the World Meals Programme, mentioned the vast majority of these killed on Sunday had gathered close to the border fence with Israel within the hope of getting flour from a UN help convoy once they have been fired on by Israeli tanks and snipers.

Witnesses described huge airstrikes in a single day in Deir al-Balah – the final remaining space of Gaza that has not suffered important warfare harm.

Israeli sources have mentioned the rationale the military has to this point stayed out is that they believe Hamas is likely to be holding hostages there. Not less than 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in captivity in Gaza are believed to be nonetheless alive.

<gu-island name="InteractiveBlockComponent" priority="critical" deferuntil="idle" props="{"url":"https://interactive.guim.co.uk/uploader/embed/2025/07/gaza_evacuations_21jul/giv-32554REMPt1J0ilnt/","scriptUrl":"https://interactive.guim.co.uk/embed/iframe-wrapper/0.1/boot.js","alt":"Evacuation map","format":{"design":0,"display":0,"theme":0},"elementId":"a80b9346-7f3a-4601-a37f-5dc0cdf2634f","isMainMedia":false}"> Evacuation map Israel launched its renewed assault regardless of studies within the Hebrew media that Israeli officers believed Hamas was near agreeing to a ceasefire.

The newest Israeli assault adopted compelled evacuation orders for between 50,000-80,000 individuals in Deir al-Balah, within the centre of the Gaza Strip, leaving nearly 87% of the territory below such orders.

“With this newest order, the world of Gaza below displacement orders or inside Israeli-militarised zones has risen to 87.8%, leaving 2.1 million civilians squeezed right into a fragmented 12% of the strip, the place important companies have collapsed,” the UN mentioned in an announcement launched by its Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha).

With the rising menace of widespread hunger, Ocha emphasised the significance of Deir al-Balah for what remained of the struggling worldwide help effort as warehouses, well being clinics and a key desalination plant serving southern Gaza have been positioned there. “Any harm to this infrastructure could have life-threatening penalties,” the company added.

Amid growing concern over the potential influence of the newest assaults, Ocha mentioned the company’s native head in Gaza had determined to stay in Deir al-Balah.

“Simply spoken to Jonathan Whittall,” Tom Fletcher, the UN’s below secretary for humanitarian affairs wrote on X late on Sunday night time. “He’s in Deir el Balah, Gaza, with Israeli airstrikes intensifying … They're better of UN. And all of us.”

Mourners attend the funeral of relations killed in an Israeli bombardment in Deir al-Balah on Monday. {Photograph}: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP The Israeli navy mentioned it had not entered the districts of Deir al-Balah topic to the evacuation order and that it was persevering with “to function with nice drive to destroy the enemy’s capabilities and terrorist infrastructure within the space”.

Deep concern over the humanitarian scenario in Gaza was underlined by claims from docs that greater than a dozen Palestinians had died from starvation previously 24 hours.

“Nineteen individuals, together with youngsters, have died of starvation,” Khalil al-Daqran, a spokesperson for al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah advised the BBC. “Hospitals can now not present meals for sufferers or employees, lots of whom are bodily unable to proceed working as a consequence of excessive starvation.

“Hospitals can't present a single bottle of milk to youngsters affected by starvation, as a result of all child components has run out from the market.”

In accordance with the World Meals Programme, the killing of dozens of Palestinians who had gathered to get flour got here after a convoy of 25 vehicles carrying meals help crossed into Gaza.

<gu-island name="InteractiveBlockComponent" priority="critical" deferuntil="idle" props="{"url":"https://interactive.guim.co.uk/datawrapper/embed/9cZ4T/2/","scriptUrl":"https://interactive.guim.co.uk/embed/iframe-wrapper/0.1/boot.js","alt":"People killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza chart","format":{"design":0,"display":0,"theme":0},"elementId":"e1a42b54-a6a4-496a-99cd-284abfc9ee9a","isMainMedia":false}"> People killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza chart “Shortly after passing the ultimate checkpoint … the convoy encountered giant crowds of civilians anxiously ready to entry desperately wanted meals provides,” the company mentioned. “Because the convoy approached, the encompassing crowd got here below fireplace from Israeli tanks, snipers and different gunfire.

“These individuals have been merely making an attempt to entry meals to feed themselves and their households on the point of hunger,” it mentioned, including that the incident occurred regardless of assurances from Israeli authorities that help supply would enhance. “Shootings close to humanitarian missions, convoys and meals distributions should cease instantly.”

Israel’s navy acknowledged the capturing however mentioned it had fired “warning photographs to take away a right away menace posed to the troops”. It mentioned preliminary findings prompt the reported casualty figures have been inflated, and it “definitely doesn't deliberately goal humanitarian help vehicles”.

The World Meals Programme added: “Gaza’s starvation disaster has reached new ranges of desperation. Persons are dying from lack of humanitarian help. Malnutrition is surging, with 90,000 girls and youngsters in pressing want of therapy. Almost one particular person in three shouldn't be consuming for days.”

The newest Israeli assaults in Gaza occurred as a safety official for Yemen’s Houthi group mentioned Israel had struck Hodeidah port on Monday, destroying a dock that had been rebuilt after it was broken in earlier assaults.

“The bombing destroyed the port’s dock, which had been rebuilt following earlier strikes,” the official advised Agence France-Presse, requesting anonymity to debate delicate issues.