New Gaza Front: IDF Launches Ground Operation in Deir al-Balah

Israeli tanks rolled into Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on Monday, marking the first ground operation in this area since the 21-month conflict began. The move follows intense overnight aerial and artillery strikes, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirming an expanded presence in previously untouched zones.

The operation, reportedly initiated by the IDF’s Golani Brigade, began after an evacuation order was issued for a nearly 6 square kilometer area on Sunday, displacing an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 people, many already displaced multiple times. Witnesses reported tanks advancing swiftly, with civilians fleeing under fire, many without belongings.

Humanitarian organizations are gravely concerned, as the newly designated evacuation zone includes critical infrastructure such as humanitarian warehouses, medical facilities, and water sources. The UN’s OCHA warned that 87.8% of Gaza is now under displacement orders or within Israeli-militarized zones, severely limiting humanitarian access.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported attacks on its staff residence and main warehouse in Deir al-Balah, leading to detentions and forced evacuations of personnel. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the damage to the main warehouse critically hampers medical supply distribution in Gaza, where resources are already depleted. The Hostages Families Forum also voiced alarm, demanding clarification on the operation’s risk to remaining hostages.

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