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Israel controls 75% of Gaza, it's now moving into the other part
The Ansar Mosque and an adjacent cemetery in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. Source: AFP
Israel on Sunday (July 20) announced its first military operation into Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza town previously avoided due to concerns for hostages, as it accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of obstructing US-mediated ceasefire talks.
The Israeli military ordered Palestinians in parts of Deir al-Balah to evacuate south to a tent city for civilians displaced by the 21-month war.
The fighting in the besieged territory has intensified after a truce collapsed in early May.
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Israel's control over flow of humanitarian aid
Tensions have escalated over the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Israel shifted from traditional aid channels to the US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which it claimed would weaken Hamas.
The UN has labelled the GHF discriminatory and inadequate to prevent famine for many Gazans.
Concurrently, Israel launched operations to seize Palestinian territory, aiming to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages from its October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.
That assault killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 abducted, with about 50 hostages remaining, 20 believed alive.
Hamas has not disclosed their locations, threatening executions if Israeli forces approach.
Israel now controls roughly 75 per cent of Gaza, but Hamas insists on a full Israeli withdrawal for any ceasefire or hostage release, a demand Israel rejects.
Why has Israel avoided Deir al-Balah so far?
Deir al-Balah, one of Gaza's few areas with standing buildings, was spared due to intelligence suggesting hostages were held there, though it's uncertain if this still holds.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed alarm over the Deir al-Balah operation, stating, 'For the hostages, this is not a negotiating 'bargaining chip,' but a clear and present danger to their fates. Enough! A sweeping majority of the nation of Israel wants the war ended in a comprehensive deal that returns all of the hostages.'
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Talks on to secure release of hostages
On July 6, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched negotiators to Qatar, a Hamas intermediary, before a White House visit where he and US President Donald Trump expressed optimism for a diplomatic resolution to free 10 living and 18 deceased hostages.
Minister Gila Gamliel accused Hamas of stalling, anticipating progress once Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, joins talks.
'The moment he runs things in Doha, we will see what the ramifications are,' she told Israel's Army Radio.
Hamas, designated a terrorist group by much of the West, warned that the deadlock threatens hostages.
'We have sustained their survival as much as possible, until now,' said Abu Obeida, Hamas's armed wing spokesperson, on Friday.
'If the criminal enemy obstructs or withdraws from this round, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals or to the proposal for the release of 10 captives.'
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