Israel issues new Gaza evacuation orders as military offensive widens
The evacuation cuts access between the city of Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in the narrow enclave.
The announcement comes as Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that expanding military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas to negotiate, though negotiations have been stalled for months.
The area of Gaza under the evacuation order is also where many international organisations attempting to distribute aid are located.
Military spokesman Avichay Adraee warned the military will attack 'with intensity' against militants. He called for residents, including those sheltering in tents, to head to the Muwasi area, a desolate tent camp on Gaza's southern shore that the Israeli military has designated a humanitarian zone.
The Israeli people overwhelmingly want an end to the fighting and a comprehensive agreement that will return all of the hostages
Gaza's population of more than two million Palestinians are in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Hamas triggered the 21-month war when militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty hostages remain, but fewer than half are thought to be alive.
Israel's military offensive that followed has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It does not say how many militants are among the dead but says more than half of those killed have been women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government but the UN and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organisation that represents many of the families of hostages, condemned the evacuation announcement and demanded that Mr Netanyahu and the Israeli military explain what they hope to accomplish in the area of central Gaza, accusing Israel of operating without a clear war plan.
It said: 'Enough. The Israeli people overwhelmingly want an end to the fighting and a comprehensive agreement that will return all of the hostages.'
On Saturday night, tens of thousands of protesters once again marched in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Donald Trump insists Gaza is not just ‘US problem' as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to push him to end war
DONALD Trump yesterday insisted Gaza is not just a 'US problem' — as Sir Keir Starmer prepared to push him to help end the 'unspeakable suffering'. The US President will host the PM at his Turnberry golf course in Scotland this morning for wide-ranging talks including on the Israel-Hamas war. 2 Donald Trump insisted Gaza is not just a 'US problem' Credit: Getty 2 Sir Keir Starmer prepared to push him to help end the 'unspeakable suffering' Credit: Getty Mr Trump said Israel would have to 'make a decision' on its next steps amid kids starving as the crisis worsens. He complained that 'nobody had even acknowledged' his recent aid funding to Gaza. And he added: 'The US is going to do more aid for Gaza, but we'd like to have other countries participate. 'It's not a US problem — it's an international problem.' No10 said Meanwhile Mr Trump hailed a trade deal in which the EU will buy £550billion of US energy and pledge a further £450billion of investment. The US will impose 15 per cent tariffs on the EU — lower than the 30 per cent he threatened, but still more than the ten per cent Britain pays. Most read in The Sun Mr Trump said it was the 'biggest deal ever made' and will be 'great for cars' and agriculture. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said it was a 'good deal' after calling the US President 'a tough negotiator'. US and EU agree landmark trade deal after months of talks, Donald Trump says Earlier Mr Trump — who found time for a round at Turnberry, escorted by an entourage of staff and Secret Service agents in golf buggies — blasted Europe for erecting so many wind farms. He said: 'We will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States. They're killing the beauty of our scenery.' After their talks, Sir Keir and Mr Trump will attend a private dinner of politicians and businessmen in Aberdeen.
Irish Examiner
7 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Death toll rises after attack on church in east Congo church
The death toll from an attack on a Catholic church in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo by Islamic State-backed rebels has risen to 34, officials said. The incident took place in the place of worship in Komanda, Ituri province. Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator, said: 'The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church.' At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani, where a search is ongoing. 'They took several people into the bush; we do not know their destination or their number,' Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, told reporters. Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes. The military has confirmed at least 10 fatalities, while local media reports put the total death toll at more than 40. Mr Duranthabo said attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1am. Several houses and shops were also burnt. Lt Jules Ngongo, a Congolese army spokesperson in Ituri province, confirmed 10 were killed in the church attack. Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on the floor of the church. Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock. A UN-backed radio station said 43 people were killed, citing security sources. It said the attackers came from a stronghold around seven miles from the centre of Komanda and fled before security forces could arrive. Mr Duranthabo condemned the attack 'in a town where all the security officials are present'. He added: 'We demand military intervention as soon as possible, since we are told the enemy is still near our town.' Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the so-called Islamic State, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians. The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath. The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighbouring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), which has long struggled against the rebel group, has been facing attacks since the renewed hostilities between the Rwanda-backed M23.
Irish Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Bob Geldof in furious Gaza rant as he shouts 'shut up' in live interview
Sir Bob Geldof has revealed that footage of malnourished youngsters in Gaza "enrages" him whilst condemning the UK Government for failing to take sufficient action. The Band Aid founder accused Israel's administration of "lying" about the absence of "no famine caused by Israel", declaring: "They're dangling food in front of starving, panicked, exhausted mothers." During an impassioned Sky News interview, an incensed Sir Bob questioned how Britain could develop a cutting-edge supercomputer this month whilst infants in Gaza were forced to survive on mere teaspoons of salt and minimal water supplies, demanding: "Shut up. What have we become that we can do this miracle and perpetuate this agony?". He also criticised the UK administration, claiming they had achieved "not enough". Sir Bob dismissed the idea that recognising Palestinian statehood - something Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure to do - would make any "difference" to the humanitarian crisis, reports the Mirror. Palestinian Yezen Abu Ful, 2, whose health has deteriorated due to lack of access to food and nutritional supplements. (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images) A charity organization distributed food to Palestinians facing severe difficulties accessing basic necessities due to Israel's ongoing blockade and military operations in the Gaza Strip on July 24, 2025. (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images) He urged Labour MPs to cease signing correspondence calling for recognition, branding it a form of "virtue signalling" at this stage, stating: "Enough. Guys, focus on the issue to hand." The political activist emphasised that the most urgent matter is to prevent starving mothers and infants from being exploited as "instruments of war". Regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, he stated: "I'm really not interested in what either of these sides are saying. When you target infants and children, when their wounds are no longer capable of healing, when breastfeeding mothers can no longer do this, then everything goes out the window." Sir Bob expressed his views on the situation in Gaza, suggesting that Israelis who disagree with their government's actions should take direct action: "What's unfair is what's happening to these babies.... What's unfair is that one hour from the hunger, people are sitting down to their unthreatened dinners to turn on the next Netflix show." He boldly proposed a solution for Israeli protesters: "So if Israelis want to protest, get in your cars. This is very bold stuff, I know, sorry about that. Get in your car, stuff your cars full of food and drive through that border and let your own army stop you." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
