Israeli tanks have advanced into Deir al-Bahl, a city in central Gaza for the first time, leading to a fresh wave of displacement among civilians. The UK and 24 other nations condemned the killing of hundreds of Palestinians at food aid points, calling for an end to the war.
Deir al-Bahl is one of the few areas in Gaza where Israel has not conducted a major ground operation during its 21-month conflict with Hamas. The city’s evacuation order affects tens of thousands of Palestinians and has dealt another devastating blow to humanitarian efforts.
Local journalists reported that Israeli tanks and military vehicles pushed into eastern Deir al-Bahl from the direction of the Kissufim crossing, under the cover of heavy artillery and air strikes. Dozens of shells struck the Abu al-Ajin and Hikr al-Jami areas, killing several people.
The Israeli military did not comment on the operation, but humanitarian agencies said the situation was “extremely critical” with shelling occurring all around their offices and military vehicles just 400m away from colleagues and their families. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that damage to aid infrastructure would have life-threatening consequences.
The World Food Programme warned Gaza’s hunger crisis had “reached new levels of desperation” after more than 100 people were reportedly killed while waiting for food over the weekend. At least 67 people were killed as they surged toward a convoy of WFP aid lorries near the Zikim crossing point in northern Gaza.
The international community has condemned Israel’s actions, calling for a negotiated ceasefire and an end to the war. The Israeli foreign ministry said that 4,400 lorry loads of humanitarian aid had entered Gaza from Israel since mid-May.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2d060xy331o