Israel sends tanks into Gaza's Deir al-Balah, raising concerns among hostages' families
Gaza medics said at least three Palestinians were killed and several were wounded in tank shelling that hit eight houses and three mosques in the area, and which came a day after the military ordered residents to leave, saying it planned to fight Hamas militants.
For the latest updates on the Israel-Palestine conflict, visit our dedicated page.
The raid and bombardment pushed dozens of families who had remained to flee and head west towards the coastal area of Deir al-Balah and nearby Khan Younis.
In Khan Younis, earlier on Monday, an Israeli airstrike killed at least five people, including a man, his wife, and their two children, in a tent, medics said.
There was no immediate Israeli comment on the Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis incidents.
Israel's military said it had not entered the districts of Deir al-Balah subject to the evacuation order during the current conflict and that it was continuing 'to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area."
Israeli sources have said the reason the army has so far stayed out is that they suspect Hamas might be holding hostages there. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in captivity in Gaza are believed to be still alive.
Families of the hostages expressed their concern for their relatives and demanded an explanation from the army of how it would protect them.
Hunger crisis
The military escalation comes as Gaza health officials warned of potential 'mass deaths' in the coming days due to mounting hunger, which has killed at least 19 people since Saturday, according to the territory's health ministry.
Health officials said hospitals were running out of fuel, food aid, and medicine, risking a halt to vital operations.
Health ministry spokesperson, Khalil afl-Deqran, said medical staff have been depending on one meal a day, and that hundreds of people flock to hospitals every day, suffering from fatigue and exhaustion because of hunger.
At least 67 people were killed by Israeli fire on Sunday as they waited for UN aid trucks to enter Gaza.
Israel's military said its troops had fired warning shots towards a crowd of thousands of people in northern Gaza to remove what it said was 'an immediate threat.'
It said initial findings suggested reported casualty figures were inflated, and it 'certainly does not intentionally target humanitarian aid trucks.'
The new raid and escalating number of fatalities appeared to be complicating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel that are being mediated by Qatar and Egypt, with US backing.
A Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday that the militant group was angered over the mounting deaths and the hunger crisis in the enclave, and that this could badly affect ceasefire talks underway in Qatar.
Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and hostage deal, although there has been no sign of breakthrough.
UNRWA, the UN refugee agency dedicated to Palestinians, said in a post on X on Monday, it was receiving desperate messages from Gaza warning of starvation, including from its own staff as food prices have increased 40-fold.
'Meanwhile, just outside Gaza, stockpiled in warehouses UNRWA has enough food for the entire population for over three months. Lift the siege and let aid in safely and at scale,' it said.
Israel's military said on Sunday that it 'views the transfer of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as a matter of utmost importance, and works to enable and facilitate its entry in coordination with the international community.'
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has since killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to health officials, displaced almost the entire population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Leaders
11 hours ago
- Leaders
Aid Trucks Start Entering Gaza from Egypt Amid Humanitarian Catastrophe
After several months of international pressure and increasing warnings from relief agencies about Israel's starvation of Palestinians, aid trucks began moving toward Gaza from Egypt, according to Reuters. Israel announced on Saturday that it started aid airdrops to Gaza and is currently taking several other steps to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave. The Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV has released several photos for dozens of trucks carrying tons of humanitarian aid and moving toward the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing in southern Gaza. To ensure the safe movement of United Nations convoys carrying aid to Gaza, the Israeli military said that there would be 'humanitarian corridors.' Moreover, the densely populated areas would have 'humanitarian pauses.' Israel's Foreign Ministry said the military would 'apply a 'humanitarian pause' in civilian centers and in humanitarian corridors' on Sunday morning. Israel's announcement on airdrops came after indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas in Doha collapsed without a deal in sight. Israel Accuses UN of Failure Crucially, Israel claimed it has allowed enough food into Gaza and accused the United Nations of failing to distribute it properly. On the contrary, the UN says it is operating as effectively as possible under the constraints imposed by Israeli restrictions. 'The IDF emphasizes that there is no starvation in the Gaza Strip; this is a false campaign promoted by Hamas,' the Israeli military said in its Saturday statement. Dozens of Gazans including children have lost their soles due to malnutrition throughout the 21 months of war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 59,000 Palestinians wounded more than 142,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Related Topics: Israel Announces 'Tactical Pauses' across 3 Parts in Gaza amid Starvation Crisis UK to Hold Urgent Talks with France, Germany over Gaza War Canada Condemns Israel over Gaza's 'Humanitarian Disaster' Short link : Post Views: 7

Al Arabiya
12 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
WHO says malnutrition reaching ‘alarming levels' in Gaza
Malnutrition rates are reaching 'alarming levels' in the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization warned Sunday, saying the 'deliberate blocking' of aid was entirely preventable and had cost many lives. 'Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July,' the WHO said in a statement, adding: 'Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting.'


Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
WHO Warns Gaza Nears Starvation as Malnutrition Spikes
The head of the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that over 2 million people in Gaza face starvation, citing a 'deadly surge' in malnutrition and related diseases. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said acute malnutrition centers in Gaza are full of patients, but lack adequate supplies. He said that rates of acute malnutrition exceed 10% and that among pregnant and breastfeeding women, more than 20% are malnourished, often severely. 'The hunger crisis is being accelerated by the collapse of aid pipelines,' Tedros said, adding that 95% of households in Gaza face severe water shortages. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for Occupied Palestinian Territories, said there were more than 30,000 children under 5 with acute malnutrition in Gaza so far this year, and that there had been 21 deaths. He noted that many of the UN health agency's supplies were destroyed after its main warehouse was destroyed during attacks in Deir al-Balah on Sunday. Meanwhile, Israel rejected a Gaza starvation warning from rights groups. Israel's Foreign Ministry accused the groups of 'echoing Hamas' propaganda.' It said it has allowed around 4,500 aid trucks to enter Gaza since lifting a complete blockade in May, and that more than 700 are waiting to be picked up and distributed by the United Nations. That's an average of around 70 trucks a day, the lowest rate of the war and far below the 500-600 trucks a day the UN says are needed, and which entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year. The UN says it has struggled to deliver aid inside Gaza because of Israeli military restrictions, ongoing fighting, and a breakdown of law and order. In the letter issued Wednesday, 115 human rights and charity groups said they were watching their own colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, 'waste away.'