 "Smoke rises from Gaza after an explosion, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border. File image/ Reuters")
Israel’s military issued fresh evacuation warnings on Sunday for parts of central Gaza, marking a shift in ground operations into an area where troops have rarely been deployed during the 21-month war. The announcement came as ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas appeared to stall once again, despite the latest round of talks in Qatar.
The evacuation order affects the area between the city of Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, further restricting access through the already devastated and densely populated coastal strip.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said the warnings were part of preparations for a renewed assault on what it described as militant positions. Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said forces would act “with intensity” and urged civilians, including those sheltering in tents, to relocate to the Muwasi area — a barren coastal zone designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone.
No immediate response came from international aid organisations operating in the region, though the evacuation zone includes several of their distribution points. The move could severely disrupt aid deliveries in a territory already facing acute shortages of food, medicine and clean water.
Gaza’s population of more than 2 million people is enduring a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with most families displaced multiple times since the war began. Tensions are mounting both inside Gaza and in Israel, where weekly protests demanding a hostage deal and ceasefire continue to grow.
War plan questioned
The Hostages Family Forum, which represents families of those still held captive in Gaza, criticised the latest evacuation order and demanded clarity from the government. “Enough! The Israeli people overwhelmingly want an end to the fighting and a comprehensive agreement that will return all of the hostages,” the forum said. It also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of operating “without a clear war plan”.
Tens of thousands took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night for the group’s regular weekend protest, calling for an end to the war and a deal to bring back the remaining hostages.
Impact Shorts
View AllThe war was triggered by Hamas’s surprise attack on 7 October 2023, when militants stormed southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages. Of those, 50 remain in captivity. Israeli officials believe fewer than half are still alive.
In the aftermath, Israel launched a military campaign that has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. While the ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, the United Nations and international aid agencies regard its casualty figures as the most reliable available. The ministry says more than half of those killed have been women and children.
Israel says its continued military pressure will push Hamas into a ceasefire agreement. But with talks in Qatar yielding no major progress, and domestic and international pressure mounting, the prospects for a breakthrough remain uncertain.