The Israeli army launched a ground operation in Deir al-Balah on Sunday. According to Israel, this is necessary to destroy Hamas infrastructure. According to the IDF, Israeli hostages may be held in the city.
Deir al-Balah is one of the few places in the Gaza Strip where the army has not yet operated with ground troops, writes The Times of Israel. The IDF carried out some air strikes because Hamas may be holding hostages there. It is not clear if that is indeed the case.
Previously, the army refrained from ground operations for the safety of any hostages in the area. It is not known what has changed now. Hamas has vowed to execute prisoners if the IDF gets close.
On Saturday, there was another large protest in Tel Aviv. Demonstrators called for the release of the last hostages. Hamas is said to be holding several dozen Israelis, of whom about twenty are still alive.
“The IDF continues to operate with great force to destroy the capabilities and terrorist infrastructure of the enemy in the area,” writes an IDF spokesman on X. It is not clear what infrastructure the colonel is referring to.
Evacuation warning to Palestinians
In Deir al-Balah – in contrast to most other cities in Gaza – most buildings are still standing. Many Palestinians have therefore fled to Deir al-Balah and are hiding in refugee camps.
But because of the announced ground operation, the IDF has sent out an evacuation warning. Palestinians in the southwest of the city must leave the area.
They should move to the south of Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have already gathered. The south is supposed to be a safety zone, but attacks are also carried out there, writes Al Jazeera.
Ground operation starts while negotiations continue
The expansion of the operation to Deir al-Balah was announced while negotiations on a ceasefire continue. According to news site Axios, a new proposal is on the table.
One of the new points of the proposal would be a significant reduction in the number of troops that Israel wants to keep in Gaza during the ceasefire. Especially special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff is said to have put pressure on Israel for concessions. Two Israeli officials tell The Times of Israel that this has reopened the door to an agreement.