Israel sends tanks into Gaza's Deir Al-Balah, raising concerns among hostages' families
At least three Palestinians were killed and several were wounded in tank shelling that hit eight houses and three mosques in Deir Al-Balah.
CAIRO - Israeli tanks pushed into southern and eastern areas of the Gazan city of Deir Al-Balah for the first time on July 21, an area where Israeli sources said the military believes some of the remaining hostages may be being held.
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.
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 July 21, 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.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore 2 workers stranded on gondola dangling outside Raffles City Tower rescued by SCDF
Asia Japan PM Ishiba vows to take responsibility for election loss, to stay in office to deal with US tariff talks
Business $1.1 billion allocated to three fund managers to boost Singapore stock market: MAS
Singapore Proof & Company Spirits closes Singapore distribution business
Singapore Medallions with Singapore Botanic Gardens' iconic landmarks launched to mark milestone-filled year
Singapore Mandai Wildlife Group group CEO Mike Barclay to retire; Bennett Neo named as successor
Singapore Jail, caning for man who held metal rod to cashier's neck in failed robbery attempt
Singapore Fresh charge for woman who harassed nurse during pandemic, created ruckus at lion dance competition
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.
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 July 19, 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 spokesman, Mr Khalil Al-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 July 20 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 July 20 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 July 21, 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 July 20 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 Oct 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. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
10 minutes ago
- Straits Times
How much territory does Russia control in Ukraine?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A still image, taken from footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry, shows what it said to be Russian soldiers waving a flag following the capture of Ukraine's Yablunivka (Yablonovka) settlement in the Donetsk region in the course of Russia-Ukraine military conflict, in this image from video released August 12, 2025. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS LONDON - U.S. President Donald Trump has said that both Kyiv and Moscow will have to cede territory to end the war in Ukraine, so how much territory does Russia control in Ukraine? Russia controls nearly 114,500 square km (44,600 square miles), or 19%, of Ukraine, including Crimea, and a major chunk of territory in the east and south-east of the country, according to open source maps of the battlefield. Ukraine does not control any internationally recognised Russian territory. Russia says Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - which were recognised by Moscow as part of Ukraine as the Soviet Union collapsed - are now parts of Russia. Ukraine has repeatedly said it will never recognise Russian occupation of its land, and most countries recognise Ukraine's territory within its 1991 borders. Following are details on the territory, Russian claims and Ukraine's position. CRIMEA Russian forces in 2014 took control of Crimea, which juts out into the Black Sea off southern Ukraine, and after a disputed referendum on joining Russia, Moscow absorbed the region into Russia. Its area is about 27,000 square km. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore MyRepublic customers air concerns over broadband speed after sale to StarHub Singapore Power switchboard failure led to disruption in NEL, Sengkang-Punggol LRT services: SBS Transit Singapore NEL and Sengkang-Punggol LRT resume service after hours-long power fault Business Ninja Van cuts 12% of Singapore workforce after 2 rounds of layoffs in 2024 Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Man who stabbed son-in-law to death in Boon Tat Street in 2017 dies of heart attack, says daughter Singapore Man who stalked woman blasted by judge on appeal for asking scandalous questions in court Russia says Crimea is legally part of Russia. Ukraine's position is that Crimea is part of Ukraine, though privately some Ukrainian officials admit that it would be very hard to return Crimea to Ukrainian control by force. Crimea was absorbed into the Russian empire by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. Russia's Black Sea naval base at Sevastopol was founded soon afterwards. In 1921, Crimea became part of Russia within the Soviet Union until 1954, when it was handed to Ukraine, also then a Soviet republic, by Communist Party chief Nikita Khrushchev, an ethnic Ukrainian. DONBAS Russia controls about 46,570 square km, or 88%, of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, including all of the Luhansk region and 75% of the Donetsk region. About 6,600 square km is still controlled by Ukraine but Russia has been focusing most of its energy along the front in Donetsk, pushing towards the last remaining major cities. Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions broke away from Ukrainian government control in 2014 and proclaimed themselves independent "people's republics". Putin in 2022 recognised them as independent states just days before the invasion of Ukraine. ZAPORIZHZHIA AND KHERSON Russian forces control about 74% of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of southeastern Ukraine, or about 41,176 square km. Ukraine controls about 14,500 square km across the two regions. Putin in 2024 said that he would be willing to agree peace if Ukraine withdrew from all regions claimed but not fully controlled by Russia - an area currently of about 21,000 square km - and officially renounced its ambitions to join NATO. Reuters reported in 2024 that Putin was open to discussing a Ukraine ceasefire deal with Trump but ruled out making any major territorial concessions and insisted that Kyiv abandon ambitions to join NATO. Two sources said Putin might be willing to withdraw from the relatively small patches of territory it holds in other areas of Ukraine. Putin's conditions for peace include a legally binding pledge that NATO will not expand eastwards, Ukrainian neutrality and limits on its armed forces, protection for Russian speakers who live there, and acceptance of Russia's territorial gains, sources told Reuters earlier this year. KHARKIV, SUMY AND DNIPROPETROVSK Russia also controls small parts of the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine. Across the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, Russia controls about 400 square km of territory. In Dnipropetrovsk, Russia has a tiny area near the border. Russia has said it is carving out a buffer zone in Sumy to protect its Kursk region from Ukrainian attack. LEGAL STATUS OF THE TERRITORIES Russia classes the Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Luhansk People's Republic, the Donetsk People's Republic, and the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as subjects of the Russian Federation. Ukraine says the territories are part of Ukraine. Most countries do not recognise the areas as part of Russia but some do. Crimea has been recognised by Syria, North Korea and Nicaragua. The United Nations General Assembly declared in 2014 the annexation illegal and recognised Crimea as part of Ukraine. The resolution was opposed by 11 countries. Putin has repeatedly compared the fate of Kosovo and Crimea. He has accused the West of having double standards for recognising Kosovo as an independent country in 2008 against the wishes of Serbia but opposing the recognition of Crimea. Russia opposed the independence of Kosovo. REUTERS
Straits Times
10 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Mothers of Gaza hostages fear Israeli offensive will endanger their sons
GENEVA - Mothers of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, including one who appeared emaciated in a recent Hamas video, voiced fears on Tuesday that a planned Israeli offensive could further endanger their sons' lives due to the risk of reprisals. Israel plans a much-criticised new Gaza offensive to take control of Gaza City in the almost two-year-old war against Palestinian militant group Hamas. Bombardment of the city is underway but the timing of the full offensive is uncertain and efforts to salvage a ceasefire continue. "When I heard that our government intends to extend the war in Gaza, I as a mother am afraid, because we know that Hamas gives kill the hostages whenever (our military) is getting close to them," said Viki Cohen, the mother of Nimrod Cohen, an Israeli soldier who was captured by Hamas during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attacks. Cohen, who is in Geneva alongside other hostages' mothers to appeal to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help them, called instead for a deal for their release. "We must do everything to take them out from there," she said, holding up a photo of her now 21-year-old son, with his two previous ages since his captivity crossed out. Galia David, the mother of Evyatar David who appeared skeleton-like in a Hamas video this month where he was seen digging what he described as his own grave, said she was "really afraid" ahead of the offensive. "We know from hostages who were released that there are hard stories, that they are even more evil with them when there is fighting," she told reporters. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore MyRepublic customers air concerns over broadband speed after sale to StarHub Singapore Power switchboard failure led to disruption in NEL, Sengkang-Punggol LRT services: SBS Transit Singapore NEL and Sengkang-Punggol LRT resume service after hours-long power fault Business Ninja Van cuts 12% of Singapore workforce after 2 rounds of layoffs in 2024 Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Man who stabbed son-in-law to death in Boon Tat Street in 2017 dies of heart attack, says daughter Singapore Man who stalked woman blasted by judge on appeal for asking scandalous questions in court She said she also worries that her son could die of starvation within days - a fear shared by Cohen's mother. Malnutrition rates and hunger-related deaths are rising in Gaza, humanitarian groups say, amid Israeli restrictions on aid. Israel denies responsibility for spreading hunger in Gaza, accusing Hamas of stealing aid, which Hamas denies. Of the original 251 hostages captured by Hamas, around 50 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom about 20 are thought to still be alive. Hamas has repeatedly denied abuse of the hostages and said Israel is starving the whole population in Gaza, including the hostages and their captors. REUTERS
CNA
10 minutes ago
- CNA
Israel bombards Gaza City; Hamas leader due in Cairo as foreign ministers warn of ‘unimaginable' suffering
CAIRO: Israeli planes and tanks bombarded eastern Gaza City overnight, killing at least 11 people, witnesses and medics said on Tuesday (Aug 12), as Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya prepared to hold talks in Cairo aimed at reviving a US-backed ceasefire plan. The latest round of indirect negotiations in Qatar ended in deadlock in late July, with Israel and Hamas trading blame over the lack of progress on a proposed 60-day truce and hostage release deal. Israel has since said it will launch a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City, which it captured shortly after the war began in October 2023 before later pulling out. PLAN DRAWS GLOBAL WARNING ON HUMANITARIAN CRISIS Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to expand military control over Gaza, expected in October, has fuelled global criticism over the devastation, displacement and hunger affecting the enclave's 2.2 million people. It has also stirred dissent in Israel, with the military chief of staff warning the move could endanger surviving hostages and prove a death trap for Israeli soldiers. About one million Palestinians are estimated to remain in Gaza City and surrounding areas. Foreign ministers of 26 countries, including Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Japan, Italy and Latvia, said on Tuesday the humanitarian crisis in Gaza had reached 'unimaginable levels' and urged Israel to allow unrestricted aid. 'Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation,' they said in a joint statement, calling for the opening of all crossings and routes to allow a 'flood of aid' including food, water, medicine, fuel and shelter supplies. Israel denies responsibility for hunger, accusing Hamas of stealing aid. It says it has taken steps to increase deliveries, including pausing fighting in some areas and establishing protected routes for aid convoys. Some countries have begun airdropping supplies over Gaza, while Western capitals say far more aid is urgently required. TALKS IN EGYPT A Palestinian official told Reuters that Hamas was ready to return to the negotiating table, and that its leaders visiting Cairo on Tuesday would reaffirm that position. Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News said the delegation had arrived 'for consultations on ceasefire talks'. However, gaps remain over issues such as the extent of any Israeli military withdrawal and Hamas disarmament. A Hamas official said the group was ready to hand over governance to a non-partisan committee, but would not give up its weapons before a Palestinian state is established. Netanyahu, whose far-right coalition partners want an Israeli takeover of all Gaza, has vowed the war will not end until Hamas is eradicated. DEATHS IN STRIKES, STARVATION Gaza's health ministry said 89 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours. Overnight strikes killed seven people in two houses in Gaza City's Zeitoun suburb and four in an apartment building in the city centre, medics said. In southern Gaza, five people, including a couple and their child, were killed in a strike on a Khan Younis house, while four others died in an attack on a tent encampment in nearby Mawasi. The Israeli military said it was checking the reports and that its forces take precautions to limit civilian casualties. It added that dozens of militants had been killed in north Gaza in the past month, and more tunnels destroyed. Five more people, including two children, died of starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, raising the total to 227 deaths, including 103 children, since the war began, according to Gaza's health ministry. Israel disputes those figures. The conflict erupted on Oct 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in southern Israel. Israel's subsequent offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.
