The IDF launched a second wave of aerial strikes on the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah on Monday after warning civilians to move away from the area to the safety of humanitarian zones to the south.
On Sunday, the Arabic Language military spokesperson issued a warning for civilians in the city to leave immediately ahead of attacks. "The IDF continues to operate with great force to destroy enemy and terrorist infrastructure," the spokesperson said in a post instructing Gazans to move toward the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi.
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IDF strikes a building in Gaza City in the center of the Strip
(Photo: Khamis Al-Rifi / Reuters)
Eyewitnesses told the BBC that tanks and heavy armored vehicles were seen entering the city from the north-east under the cover of artillery fire and airstrikes. Social media posts showed explosions and intense gunfire, prompting many residents to leave.
Deir al-Balah in central Gaza includes the refugee camp where many Gazans have sought refuge during the war because the IDF has not operated on the ground there. It includes the Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital, where many of the displaced have settled.
The BBC claimed in its reporting that residents of the city were concerned that the Israeli attacks were part of a plan to create a corridor that would cut the city off from the rest of the Strip, limiting the options to escape the area.
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The families of hostages expressed outrage and fear that the latest offensive move would pose further risk to the lives of the hostages held by Hamas.
On Monday, far-right Settlement and National Missions Minister Orit Strock said that the IDF should launch a “decisive battle” in areas of the Gaza Strip that the military has largely avoided due to the presence of hostages.
“There is an entire area — around 25% of the territory, as the chief of staff defined it — that has been designated ‘do not touch’ because of the hostages,” Strock said. “But you can’t win a war that way. It’s not logical and not acceptable.”
When asked if she was not concerned that hostages may be killed, she said the military should try hard to avoid harming the captives, "but it could happen. Yes, it could happen,” causing further outrage among the families of the hostages.