Israeli ground troops on Monday entered areas of Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza city housing several aid organizations, marking the first such incursion and a potential move to further divide the territory with military corridors.
Deir al-Balah has largely been spared major ground operations during the 21-month conflict, leading to speculation it may be holding a significant number of hostages.
The organization representing hostages’ families expressed “shock and alarm” at the incursion, confirmed by an Israeli military official, and demanded explanations from Israeli leadership.
Israel asserts its territorial seizures in Gaza are intended to pressure Hamas to release hostages, a central point of contention in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
The UN food agency has accused Israeli forces of firing upon a crowd of Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid during the past weekend.
Gaza’s Health Ministry described the incident as one of the deadliest attacks on aid-seekers during the war, pushing the region to the verge of famine.
In a display of growing international disapproval, the United Kingdom, France, and 23 other Western-aligned nations jointly stated that “the war in Gaza must end now”.
They strongly criticized Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid access and demanded the release of the remaining 50 hostages held in Gaza.
Deir al-Balah has become a refuge for tens of thousands of people displaced throughout Gaza due to the ongoing conflict.
Associated Press journalists in the area heard explosions and observed smoke emerging from parts of the city placed under evacuation orders Sunday.
The Israeli military official, who spoke anonymously in accordance with regulations, confirmed that this was the first time ground forces had operated in the area.
A resident within the evacuation zone, who preferred to remain anonymous for safety reasons, stated that the Israelis dropped leaflets early in the morning instructing people to evacuate. Two hours afterward, tanks moved into the area.
He reported that his 62-year-old father, who had been elsewhere for the night, fled from house to house as the Israeli forces entered, witnessing bulldozers and tanks flattening buildings. Both men successfully left the evacuation area.
While the military did not confirm whether it had instructed aid groups in the city to evacuate, it stated that it remains in constant communication with them and facilitates their relocation as needed.
Israel has claimed large sectors of Gaza, using military corridors that stretch from the border to the sea as a tactic to put pressure on Hamas to release more hostages.
In response to the Deir al-Balah incursion, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum issued a statement cautioning that “the people of Israel will not forgive anyone who knowingly endangered the hostages — both the living and the deceased. No one will be able to claim they didn’t know what was at stake.”
Hamas-led militants seized 251 individuals on October 7, 2023, during an attack that ignited the current war and claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 people.
It is believed that fewer than half of the 50 hostages still being held in Gaza are still alive.
