At least 65 Palestinians were killed Monday as Israeli forces escalated operations in central Gaza, marking the first time tanks entered parts of Deir el-Balah since the war began in October 2023. The city, home to thousands of displaced residents, has come under intensified bombardment from land, air, and sea.
The Israeli military launched a ground offensive in the southern and eastern sections of Deir el-Balah following a new evacuation directive issued Sunday. Thousands of residents fled toward the coastal area and south to Khan Younis, often using carts and improvised transportation amid heavy shelling.
Medical personnel in the area reported that tank fire struck homes and mosques, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. Local journalists described widespread destruction, including the leveling of residential areas and public squares.
The United Nations confirmed that two of its guesthouses in Deir el-Balah were hit despite their coordinates being shared with Israeli authorities. UN officials emphasized that humanitarian facilities must be protected, regardless of any evacuation orders. The World Health Organization reported that its staff compound and warehouse were also damaged. Four individuals, including two WHO employees, were detained during the attack. Three were released, but one remains in custody.
Doctors Without Borders estimates that as many as 80,000 people were forced to flee Deir el-Balah ahead of the ground invasion. Meanwhile, Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for attacking an Israeli tank with a landmine south of the city. Casualty figures from that engagement remain unclear.
Across the Gaza Strip, Israeli air and artillery strikes continued. Eleven people were reportedly killed while trying to access humanitarian aid. In Khan Younis, an airstrike killed five members of a family sheltering in a tent. Additional casualties were confirmed in Jabalia in the north, where strikes killed at least five more. The Palestine Red Crescent reported recovering one body and evacuating three injured people in nearby Jabalia al-Nazla.
Drone attacks were also reported in Gaza City, adding to the growing number of wounded and displaced. On Sunday, Gaza health officials said 134 people had been killed and more than 1,100 injured in Israeli attacks. The cumulative death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 59,000, according to local authorities.
The humanitarian crisis continues to deepen. On Sunday alone, 19 people reportedly died from starvation as aid deliveries remain restricted. United Nations officials warn of a worsening malnutrition crisis, particularly among children. The UN’s World Food Programme described the situation as “unprecedented,” saying many are risking their lives to obtain basic supplies.
UNRWA, the agency supporting Palestinian refugees, reported receiving increasingly urgent pleas for food and medical assistance, including from its own staff. The agency again called for unimpeded access to aid.
In response to the crisis, the foreign ministers of 25 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Japan, issued a joint statement demanding an immediate end to hostilities. The statement condemned attacks on civilians and criticized Israel’s control of humanitarian aid deliveries, warning that the current model is exacerbating instability and undermining human dignity.
International pressure continues to mount as conditions in Gaza grow more dire, with aid organizations warning that without urgent relief, the toll on civilians will rise even further.
