
Israel issues new evacuation orders in central Gaza as hunger worsens
The military evacuation demand, which could signal an imminent attack on neighborhoods in Deir al-Balah, alarmed the families of Israeli hostages, who fear their relatives are being held there.
Much of Gaza has been reduced to a wasteland during more than 21 months of war and there are fears of accelerating starvation.
Health officials at Al Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza said at least 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded by Israeli fire as crowds gathered to await the entry of U.N. aid trucks.
Israel's military said it was checking the report.
Palestinian health officials said hundreds of people could soon die as hospitals were inundated with patients suffering from dizziness and exhaustion due to the scarcity of food and a collapse in aid deliveries.
'We warn that hundreds of people whose bodies have wasted away are at risk of imminent death due to hunger,' the health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, said.
The United Nations also said on Sunday that civilians were starving and needed an urgent influx of aid.
The Israeli military dropped leaflets from the sky ordering people in several districts in southwest Deir al-Balah, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans have been sheltering, to leave their homes and head further south.
' The (Israeli) Defense Forces continues to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area,' the military said, adding that it had not entered these districts during the current conflict.
Israeli sources have said the reason the army has so far stayed out is because they suspect Hamas might be holding hostages there. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in captivity in Gaza are believed to still be alive.
Hostage families demanded an explanation from the army.
'Can anyone (promise) to us that this decision will not come at the cost of losing our loved ones?' the families said in a statement. Some Palestinians suggested the move on Deir al-Balah might be an attempt to put pressure on Hamas to make more concessions in long-running ceasefire negotiations.
Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and hostage deal, although there has been no sign of breakthrough.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza.
The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has since killed more than 58,000 Palestinians according to health officials, displaced almost the entire population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis.
Local health authorities said a total of 45 people had been killed in separate Israeli gunfire and airstrikes across Gaza on Sunday.
Residents said it was becoming impossible to find essential food such as flour. The Gaza health ministry said at least 71 children had died of malnutrition during the war, and 60,000 others were suffering from symptoms of malnutrition.
Food prices have increased well beyond what most of the population of more than two million can afford.
Several people who spoke to Reuters via chat apps said they either had one meal or no meal in the past 24 hours.
'As a father, I wake up in the early morning to look for food, for even a loaf of bread for my five children, but all in vain,' said Ziad, a nurse.
'People who didn't die of bombs will die of hunger. We want an end to this war now, a truce, even for two months,' he told Reuters.
Others said they felt dizzy walking in the streets and that many fainted as they walked. Fathers leave tents to avoid questions by their children about what to eat.
UNRWA, the U.N. refugee agency dedicated to Palestinians, demanded Israel allow more aid trucks into Gaza, saying it had enough food for the entire population for over three months which was not allowed in.
'The Israeli Authorities are starving civilians in #Gaza. Among them are 1 million children. Lift the siege: allow UNRWA to bring in food and medicines,' it wrote on X on Sunday.
Israel has denied accusations it is preventing aid from reaching Gaza and has accused Hamas of stealing food, an allegation Hamas denies. It also says the United Nations has not picked up aid ready to move into Gaza.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
British girl, 19, in intensive care after contracting deadly disease on holiday
A British teenager is fighting for her life in a Greek hospital after contracting meningitis while on holiday with her friends. Millie Bayles, 19, thought she was developing an ear infection while visiting the island of Rhodes with friends but her condition quickly deteriorated. She was transferred to a hospital more than 300 miles away in Athens, where she remains semi-conscious. Her mum Lauren Murphy said: 'We are now at the stage where we can look to bring Millie back to the UK. She is out of immediate danger, but she has a long road to recovery ahead of her. 'She is still only semi-conscious, and we have yet to see how badly this illness will have affected her brain in the long term. 'Unfortunately, due to being an invincible young person, Millie neglected to take out any holiday insurance, and so we have to fund her medical flight home privately. 'We desperately need help to get our girl back to her home country so she can continue her recovery process.' The family have been able to raise £40,000 so far to fund the cost of medical bills and flights. Millie's stepdad, Pete said: 'I am so overwhelmed by the immediate generosity of all of you lovely people and plenty that are certainly not on my friend list. 'Myself, Lauren and Millie are so grateful for your kind donations. 'Millie has got a long battle ahead, but she certainly has a lot of people rooting for her, and we can't thank you enough for that.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Pro-Palestine protesters block Israeli cruise ship from docking on Greek island MORE: New £17 travel charge comes into force across popular Greek islands MORE: The alarming health problem forcing children to miss school


NBC News
9 hours ago
- NBC News
‘We need to stop this': U.S. nurse in Gaza warns of mass starvation
Elidalis Burgos, an American nurse volunteering in Khan Younis, told NBC News that extreme malnutrition due to the Israeli blockade of Gaza is affecting patients' chances of survival, and now also impacting the health of her fellow medics.


Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Israel is accused of 'mass starvation' as 100 charities blast aid blockade: At least ten people 'die of malnutrition' in 24 hours
Israel stood accused tonight of inflicting 'mass starvation' on Gaza amid reports that at least ten people have died of malnutrition in 24 hours. It brought the toll of deaths from hunger in recent weeks to 111, including 80 children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Harrowing scenes among crowds at aid points have shown desperate women and children pleading for food while photos inside hospitals have revealed starving babies and children. The United Nations has estimated nearly 100,000 women and children in Gaza are approaching malnutrition. More than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups issued a joint letter blaming Israel for the deteriorating situation. Agencies such as Save the Children, Medecins Sans Frontieres and the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) led the calls for a ceasefire, for land crossings to be reopened and for food, water and medical supplies to be restored. They wrote: 'Palestinians are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions. 'As mass starvation spreads across Gaza, our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away. 'As the Israeli government's siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families.' However, Israel denied the claims, insisting that almost 1,000 trucks of aid await distribution by aid agencies to Gazan civilians. Its foreign ministry accused the groups of 'echoing Hamas propaganda' and said it has allowed around 4,500 aid trucks to enter Gaza since lifting a complete blockade in May. It insisted that more than 700 lorries are waiting to be picked up and distributed by the UN. That's an average of around 70 a day, the lowest rate of the war and far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the UN says are needed and which entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year. The agencies said only 28 trucks a day are getting through because Israel is blocking these organisations from 'accessing and delivering' supplies. They described Israeli aid drops as 'symbolic' and a 'smokescreen for inaction' while such measures 'cannot replace legal and moral obligations to protect civilians'. At least 100 Palestinians were said yesterday to have died across the enclave in the previous 24 hours. The move by the agencies appeared to have paid off on Wednesday night as Donald Trump intervened to add pressure on Israel. More than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups issued a joint letter blaming Israel for the deteriorating situation The White House claimed the US President was distressed by the latest 'mass casualty event' on Sunday when 79 civilians were killed after Israeli troops opened fire at an aid station. Mr Trump has dispatched US peace envoy Steve Witkoff to lead talks in Rome tomorrow, with Israeli minister of strategic affairs Ron Dermer and Qatari envoys representing Hamas. The appeal by the agencies also came as the UN claimed more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed as they queued for aid in Gaza in the previous two months. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has described the situation in Gaza as 'a horror show' and added: 'We are seeing the last gasp of a humanitarian system built on humanitarian principles.' The Vatican has expressed growing frustration at the killings in Gaza 'of children queueing for a handful of rice'.