Israeli forces launch ground and air assault on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza
Date: 08:47 BST
Title: Palestinians fled after Israeli warning on Sunday
Content: As we've reported, the Israeli military yesterday issued evacuation orders for Deir al-Balah, where it has not launched a ground offensive during its 21 months of war against Hamas.
The IDF said people should evacuate immediately and move towards al-Mawasi on the Mediterranean coast.
The military's Arabic language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said Israel was "expanding its activities" in Deir al-Balah, including "in an area where it has not operated before".
Pictures showed hundreds of people fleeing with their belongings.
Update:
Date: 08:31 BST
Title: UN warned against Israeli operation in Deir al-Balah
Content: The UN's humanitarian office, Ocha, said the displacement order issued by the Israeli military on Sunday - before today's assault began - was "yet another devastating blow" to humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
It said there were dozens of important resources such as humanitarian warehouses, medical clinics and critical water infrastructure in Deir al-Balah.
"Any damage to this infrastructure will have life-threatening consequences," it warned.
The new order "cuts through Deir al-Balah... further splintering the Strip," Ocha said, adding that it will limit the ability of its humanitarian teams to move safely and effectively in Gaza.
Update:
Date: 08:12 BST
Title: The evacuation order caused panic for Gazans, and alarm for Israeli hostage families
Content: Yolande KnellMiddle East correspondent, in Jerusalem
The Israeli military's evacuation order on Sunday caused widespread panic among tens of thousands of Palestinians.
The affected neighbourhoods of Deir al-Balah are crowded with displaced people living in tents.
The order also alarmed the families of Israeli hostages – with a number of those still held captive by Hamas assumed to be in the area.
They fear that an Israeli attack could endanger their loved ones.
Update:
Date: 08:07 BST
Title: Israeli forces launch ground and air assault on Deir al-Balah
Content: Rushdi AbualoufGaza correspondent, reporting from Istanbul
Israeli forces have launched a ground and air assault on the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, prompting fresh waves of displacement among civilians already uprooted by the ongoing conflict.
The operation began early on Monday, just hours after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings to residents of six residential blocks in the south-western part of the city.
The area is currently packed with thousands of displaced people from Rafah and Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Local journalists told the BBC that Israeli tanks and military vehicles pushed into the city from the Kisufim checkpoint under heavy artillery and air cover.
Dozens of shells reportedly struck the Abu al-'Ajin and Hikr al-Jami' neighbourhoods, as ground forces moved in.
Footage shared on social media showed flashes of explosions and the sound of sustained gunfire as Israeli troops advanced.
Thousands of residents fled the city overnight towards the coastal area of al-Mawasi, near Khan Younis, which has become one of the few remaining zones of relative refuge in southern Gaza.
There are growing fears among local residents that the latest military push could be part of an effort to carve out a new corridor that would isolate Deir al-Balah from the surrounding central Gaza region.
If confirmed, this would be the third such axis, following the establishment of Israeli military routes through the Netzarim corridor in southern Gaza City and the Morag axis in Rafah.
The BBC has asked the Israeli military for comment.
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