Israeli military orders mass evacuations in Northern Gaza
The Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate areas in northern Gaza on Sunday before intensified fighting against Hamas, as US President Donald Trump called for an end to the war amid renewed efforts to broker a ceasefire.
"Make the deal in Gaza, get the hostages back," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform early on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold talks later in the day on the progress of Israel's offensive. A senior security official said the military will tell him the campaign is close to reaching its objectives, and warn that expanding fighting to new areas in Gaza may endanger the remaining Israeli hostages.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya
IC Markets
Mendaftar
Undo
But in a statement posted on X and text messages sent to many residents, the military urged people in northern parts of the enclave to head south towards the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, which Israel designated as a humanitarian area. Palestinian and UN officials say nowhere in Gaza is safe.
"The (Israeli) Defence Forces is operating with extreme force in these areas, and these military operations will escalate, intensify, and extend westward to the city center to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations," the military said.
Live Events
The evacuation order covered the Jabalia area and most Gaza City districts. Medics and residents said the Israeli army's bombardments escalated in the early hours in Jabalia, destroying several houses and killing at least six people.
In Khan Younis in the south, five people were killed in an airstrike on a tent encampment near Mawasi, medics said. At least 12 other people were killed in separate Israeli military strikes and gunfire across the enclave, taking Sunday's death toll to at least 23, medics said.
At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, relatives arrived to pay their respects to white-shrouded bodies before they are buried.
"A month ago, they (Israel) told us to go to Al-Mawasi (in Khan Younis) and we stayed there for a month, it is a safe zone," said Zeyad Abu Marouf. He said three of his children were killed and a fourth was wounded in the Israeli airstrike.
"We ask God and the Arabs to move and end this occupation and the injustice taking place against us," Abu Marouf told Reuters. -Reuters
NEW CEASEFIRE PUSH
The military escalation comes as Arab mediators, Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, begin a new ceasefire effort to halt the 20-month-old conflict and secure the release of Israeli and foreign hostages still being held by Hamas.
Interest in resolving the Gaza conflict has heightened following U.S. and Israeli bombings of Iran's nuclear facilities.
There has also been rising concern over how aid is being distributed to Gazans in the ruined enclave. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed over the past month in the vicinity of areas where food was being handed out, local hospitals and officials have said. Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
CIA chief told lawmakers Iran nuclear programme set back years with strikes on metal conversion site
CIA Director John Ratcliffe told skeptical US lawmakers that American military strikes destroyed Iran's lone metal conversion facility and in the process delivered a monumental setback to Tehran's nuclear programme that would take years to overcome, a US official said on Sunday. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive intelligence, said Ratcliffe laid out the importance of the strikes on the metal conversion facility during a classified hearing for US lawmakers last week. Details about the private briefings surfaced as President Donald Trump and his administration keep pushing back on questions from Democratic lawmakers and others about how far Iran was set back by the strikes before last Tuesday's ceasefire with Israel took hold. "It was obliterating like nobody's ever seen before," Trump said in an interview on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures". "And that meant the end to their nuclear ambitions, at least for a period of time." Live Events Ratcliffe also told lawmakers that the intelligence community assessed the vast majority of Iran's amassed enriched uranium likely remains buried under the rubble at Isfahan and Fordo, two of the three key nuclear facilities targeted by US strikes. But even if the uranium remains intact, the loss of its metal conversion facility effectively has taken away Tehran's ability to build a bomb for years to come, the official said. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation" that the three Iranian sites with "capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree". But, he added, "some is still standing" and that because capabilities remain, "if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again". He said assessing the full damage comes down to Iran allowing in inspectors. "Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared, and there is nothing there," Grossi said. Trump has insisted from just hours after three key targets were struck by US bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles that Iran's nuclear program was "obliterated." His defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said they were "destroyed". A preliminary report issued by the US Defence Intelligence Agency, meanwhile, said the strikes did significant damage to the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites, but did not totally destroy the facilities. As a result of Israeli and US strikes, Grossi said that "it is clear that there has been severe damage, but it's not total damage". Israel claims it has set back Iran's nuclear program by "many years". The metal conversion facility that Ratcliffe said was destroyed was located at the Isfahan nuclear facility. The process of transforming enriched uranium gas into dense metal, or metallisation, is a key step in building the explosive core of a bomb. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in comments at the NATO summit last week also suggested that it was likely the US strikes had destroyed the metal conversion facility. "You can't do a nuclear weapon without a conversion facility," Rubio said. "We can't even find where it is, where it used to be on the map. You can't even find where it used to be because the whole thing is just blackened out. It's gone. It's wiped out." The CIA director also stressed to lawmakers during the congressional briefing that Iran's air defence was shattered during the 12-day assault. As a result, any attempt by Iran to rebuild its nuclear programme could now easily be thwarted by Israeli strikes that Iran currently has little wherewithal to defend against, the official said. Ratcliffe's briefing to lawmakers on the US findings appeared to mesh with some of Israeli officials' battle damage assessments. Israeli officials have determined that Iran's ability to enrich uranium to a weapons-grade level was neutralised for a prolonged period, according to a senior Israeli military official who was not authorized to talk publicly about the matter. Tehran's nuclear programme was also significantly damaged by the strikes killing key scientists, damage to Iran's missile production industry and the battering of Iran's aerial defence system, according to the Israeli's assessment. Grossi, and some Democrats, note that Iran still has the know-how. "You cannot undo the knowledge that you have or the capacities that you have," Grossi said, emphasising the need to come to a diplomatic deal on the country's nuclear programme.
Hindustan Times
44 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Amid feud over 'Big Beautiful Bill,' Trump says Elon Musk is a 'great guy'
Amid the feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the US President in an interview on Sunday referred to the tech mogul and former advisor as a "great guy." Musk served as a close advisor to the US President till May 2025, when his tenure came to an end. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House(AP) However, Elon Musk's exit from the White House soon turned explosive after the SpaceX and Tesla CEO expressed his dissatisfaction with "Trump's "big beautiful bill" for tax cuts. Speaking to Fox News, Trump referred to the former advisor as a "great guy" and that he is "going to do well always." "I think he's a wonderful guy. I haven't spoken to him much, but I think Elon is a wonderful guy, and I know he's going to do well always. He's a smart guy. And he actually went and campaigned with me and this and that. But he got a little bit upset, and that wasn't appropriate," Trump told Fox news reporter Maria Bartiromo. When asked about what led to the great fallout between Trump and Musk, the US president said - "Look, the electric vehicle mandate, the EV mandate, is a tough thing for him. I would, you know, I don't want everybody to have to have an electric car." Musk's stance against the GOP bill, which he claims would destroy millions of jobs," triggered an online feud as both men proceeded to bash one another on social media accounts. The feud also led to Musk posting about the alleged connection between Donald Trump and the Epstein files, which was later deleted. Ahead of the key Senate vote for the 'big beautiful bill,' Musk took to X and described the latest version of the bill as 'utterly insane.' 'The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country! Utterly insane and destructive,' wrote Musk. Despite criticism and defection from three Republicans, the tax-cut bill was passed with a vote of 51 to 49. The bill will now be voted on in the House of representatives before it is enforced as a law.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Republican Senator who opposed Trump's Big Beautiful Bill says he 'won't seek reelection'
Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he won't run for reelection next year, announcing his retirement a day after opposing Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, which cuts funding for health care. read more WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 25: U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) talks to reporters as he walks to the Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Republican lawmakers are aiming to complete passage of the "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" by this weekend, which by some estimates would add at least $2.8 trillion to the $36.2 trillion U.S. debt in the long term./AFP (Photo by Kevin Dietsch / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced on Sunday that he will not run for reelection next year. The news came just a day after he opposed President Donald Trump's tax and spending plan because it cuts funding for health care programs. Tillis's retirement opens up a Senate seat in North Carolina, a key swing state, giving Democrats a chance to gain ground in the 2026 midterm elections. It also makes Tillis a wildcard in the Republican Party, where few lawmakers challenge Trump's agenda. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump had already threatened to support a primary challenger against Tillis. On Sunday, Trump posted that Tillis's decision not to run was 'Great News!' 'In Washington, it's become clear that leaders who support bipartisanship and independent thinking are becoming rare,' Tillis said in a statement. He added that he was proud of his public service but recognized how hard it is for politicians who don't always follow their party line. 'I look forward to having the freedom to speak my mind and serve the people of North Carolina as best I can,' he said. Currently, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Trump had criticized Tillis on social media for voting on Saturday night against moving forward with the large tax bill. Trump accused him of only seeking publicity and threatened to campaign against him. He also accused Tillis of failing to help people in western North Carolina after floods from Hurricane Helene last year. 'Tillis is a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER,' Trump wrote. Many Republican leaders were surprised by the timing of Tillis's announcement, though not entirely by his decision. He had planned to reveal his future plans later this year but was leaning toward retiring, according to someone familiar with his thinking. Before announcing his decision, Tillis was considering whether Trump and the White House would allow him to campaign independently, and whether he'd have support from Senate Republican leaders. The answer to both, he realized, was no, especially after Trump's call for a primary challenger and GOP plans to cut Medicaid, which Tillis said would hurt North Carolina. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tillis decided to retire rather than face questions about whether he might change his vote on the Republican tax bill. North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Jason Simmons said the party wishes Tillis well and is determined to keep the seat in Republican hands in 2026. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who leads the Senate Republican campaign committee, didn't mention Tillis directly but said Republicans would keep winning in North Carolina, noting that Trump has won the state three times. Democrats see an opportunity. Former Republican Wiley Nickel, who announced his candidacy in April, said he's ready to face any Republican opponent. 'I've flipped a tough seat before, and we're going to do it again,' Nickel said in a statement. Some Democrats say Tillis's decision highlights how Trump has changed the Republican Party, leaving little room for those who disagree with him. 'This proves there's no space in the Republican Party for anyone who opposes taking health care away from 11.8 million people,' said Lauren French, spokesperson for the Senate Majority PAC, which supports Senate Democrats. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tillis first rose to political prominence in North Carolina when, as a second-term state House member, he left his job as an IBM consultant to help Republicans win the state legislature in 2010 for the first time in 140 years. He later became speaker of the state House and helped pass conservative laws on taxes, gun rights, regulations, and abortion. He also supported a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, which voters approved in 2012 but was later struck down by the courts. In 2014, Tillis helped Republicans take control of the U.S. Senate by narrowly defeating Democratic Senator Kay Hagan. Over his years in office, he focused on issues like mental health, substance abuse treatment, Medicaid expansion, and veterans' support. As a more moderate Republican, Tillis became known for sometimes working with Democrats on certain issues. With inputs from AP
