Israeli Forces Launch Ground and Air Attacks on Deir el-Balah, Gaza

Kokcha News Agency – The Israeli army launched its first ground assault on Deir el-Balah in the Gaza Strip, after issuing evacuation orders on Sunday. The city, located in the central part of the Gaza Strip, was also attacked by Israeli forces from the air.

According to the BBC, the Israeli ground assault on Deir el-Balah began early today. The area targeted is already home to tens of thousands of Palestinians forcibly displaced by Israeli attacks on Rafah and Khan Younis in the south. Local journalists in Gaza told the BBC that Israeli tanks and military vehicles had entered the city through the Kissufim checkpoint.

The Guardian also reported on the ground assault, stating that Israel struck eight houses and three mosques in the area, killing at least three Palestinians and injuring many in the artillery fire. Israeli tanks entered the southern and eastern parts of Deir el-Balah, marking a first. Israeli sources reported that the Israeli army believes some Israeli hostages are being held in Deir el-Balah.

Many Palestinians have begun to flee towards the coastal areas of the city and Khan Younis due to the air and ground attacks. Earlier today, at least five people were killed in an Israeli attack on Khan Younis, including a family of four living in a tent.

Deir el-Balah was one of the few areas in the Gaza Strip where the Israeli army had not conducted a large-scale ground assault during its 21-month offensive and occupation.

For this reason, tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians had sought refuge in the city. After the Israeli army entered Rafah in the south last year, the United Nations (UN) and other humanitarian organizations moved key parts of their operations from Rafah to Deir el-Balah.

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a UK-based aid organization with an office in Deir el-Balah, reported attacks around their office. MAP communications officer Mai Elawawda said that Israeli military vehicles were “only 400 meters away from colleagues and their families, who had a very frightening night before coming here.” Elawawda added that everyone is trying to evacuate the area, and most people are unsure of where to go next.