logo
Israel controls 75% of Gaza, it's now moving into the other part

Israel controls 75% of Gaza, it's now moving into the other part

First Post5 days ago
Deir al-Balah, one of Gaza's few areas with standing buildings, was spared by the IDF so far due to intelligence suggesting hostages were held there read more
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.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
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.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
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.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Freedom Flotilla's Handala approaches Gaza, faces Israeli navy threat
Freedom Flotilla's Handala approaches Gaza, faces Israeli navy threat

First Post

time5 minutes ago

  • First Post

Freedom Flotilla's Handala approaches Gaza, faces Israeli navy threat

An aid vessel launched by the Freedom Flotilla, carrying 19 activists and two journalists, is nearing Gaza in defiance of Israel's blockade. Named Handala, the boat could face interception like its predecessor Madleen, as tensions mount over humanitarian access. read more The Freedom Flotilla ship "Handala" as it leaves for Gaza at a port in Syracuse, Sicily, southern Italy. AFP The activist group Freedom Flotilla announced Saturday that its latest aid boat dispatched to Gaza was approaching the territory and planned to land there the following morning in defiance of an Israeli blockade. The vessel, named the Handala after a popular Palestinian cartoon character, was just 105 nautical miles (194 kilometres) from its destination, organisers said – closer to Gaza than its predecessor the Madleen was when it was intercepted in June. The Israeli navy said it would likewise block the new vessel from reaching the war-torn Palestinian territory. 'The [Israeli army] enforces the legal maritime security blockade on the Gaza Strip and is prepared for a wide range of scenarios, which it will act upon in accordance with directives of the political echelon,' an army spokesperson told AFP on Saturday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Carrying 19 activists and two journalists from various countries, the Handala first set sail from Sicily on July 13 in a bid to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza and deliver aid to its population. The territory is facing severe shortages of food and other essentials, with the United Nations and NGOs warning of an imminent famine. The Handala's crew said in a post on X that they would go on a hunger strike if the Israeli army intercepted the boat and detained its passengers. The last boat sent by Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was intercepted by the Israeli army in international waters on June 9 and towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod. It carried 12 campaigners on board, including prominent Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Bad news for NASA employees as Trump administration forced 3870 workers to...
Bad news for NASA employees as Trump administration forced 3870 workers to...

India.com

time5 minutes ago

  • India.com

Bad news for NASA employees as Trump administration forced 3870 workers to...

New Delhi: Washington: 3,870 employees will lose their jobs from the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). These employees are going to resign under the Voluntary Resignation Program. Why did these employees resign? US President Donald Trump's administration has launched a programme to reduce the number of employees to cut the budget. Under this, employees have been asked to resign on their own instead of being fired from NASA. To comply with the Trump administration's goal of reducing the federal workforce, space agency NASA officials are taking the path of resignation to avoid layoffs. NASA is world's most prominent space agency. What did NASA say about resignations? At present, 3,870 employees have resigned from NASA. However, NASA has said in its statement on Friday, July 25, that this number may change after reviewing the applications. NASA has given employees two separate opportunities to leave the job in 2025. After both resignation programmes and about 500 people leaving their jobs in general, NASA will be left with about 14,000 employees. This is the second round of resignations The first round of resignations at NASA came in the early part of the Trump administration. This effort was driven by the government efficiency department DOGE led by Elon Musk. NASA launched its second round of deferred resignations in early June, giving a chance to join it till July 25. The agency said that 3,000 employees accepted it, which is 16.4 percent of the total workforce. NASA issues statement NASA has said in its statement that safety is our top priority. Along with becoming a more efficient organization, we are also ensuring that our capabilities for missions like Moon and Mars remain fully intact. However, experts believe that such a huge reduction in the number of employees may harm NASA's future missions and technical expertise.

No proof Hamas routinely stole UN aid: Israeli military officials
No proof Hamas routinely stole UN aid: Israeli military officials

Time of India

time24 minutes ago

  • Time of India

No proof Hamas routinely stole UN aid: Israeli military officials

JERUSALEM: For nearly two years, Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid provided by the United Nations and other international organisations. The govt has used that claim as its main rationale for restricting food from entering the Gaza Strip. But the Israeli military never found proof that the Palestinian militant group had systematically stolen aid from the United Nations, the biggest supplier of emergency assistance to Gaza for most of the war, according to two senior Israeli military officials and two other Israelis involved in the matter. In fact, the Israeli military officials said, the UN aid delivery system was largely effective in providing food to Gaza's hungry population. Now, with hunger at crisis levels in the territory, Israel is coming under increased international pressure over its conduct of the war in Gaza and the humanitarian suffering it has brought. Israel has largely brushed off the criticism. David Mencer, a govt spokesperson, said this past week that there was "no famine caused by Israel." Instead, he blamed Hamas and poor coordination by the United Nations for any food shortages. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Shop Sale Libas Undo Israel moved in May toward replacing the UN-led aid system, opting instead to back a private, American-run operation guarded by armed US contractors in areas controlled by Israeli military forces. Some aid still comes into Gaza through the UN and other organisations. The new system has proved to be much deadlier for Palestinians. According to the Gaza health ministry, almost 1,100 people have been killed by gunfire on their way to get food handouts under the new system, in many cases by Israeli soldiers who opened fire on hungry crowds. In the latest such incident, three people were killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting for aid in three separate incidents in northern, central and southern Gaza, said the civil defence agency on Saturday. In total, at least 25 people were killed, reports AFP. The military officials who spoke to The New York Times said that the original UN aid operation was relatively reliable and less vulnerable to Hamas interference than the operations of many of the other groups bringing aid into Gaza. Hamas did steal from some of the smaller organisations that donated aid, according to the senior Israeli officials and others involved in the matter. But, they say, there was no evidence that Hamas regularly stole from the UN, which provided the largest chunk of the aid.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store