Three Palestinians were killed as Israeli military and tanks invaded Deir al-Balah in central Gaza for the first time during the 21 months of war, local media reports said.
The city is reportedly full of Palestinians who have been displaced due to war.
After the evacuation order of Israel, hundreds of Palestinians escaped toward west or south Gaza.
The Israeli military says it is attacking the area to destroy Hamas infrastructure and centers.
Many Palestinians were injured as Israeli tanks assaulted homes and mosques, media reports said.
Israeli Strikes Have Killed More Than Hundred Palestinians In Past 24 Hours
Gaza’s health ministry stated that in the last 24 hours, at least 130 Palestinians have been killed while around 1,000 were injured due to Israeli strikes in various parts of the city.
Experts say that the Israeli military had avoided attacking Deir al-Balah because they believed hostages were being held there.
Reports say that out of 50 hostages still believed to be alive, around 20 of them could be in the area.
Israeli attacks on places where hostages could be living have sparked concerns among the families of hostages.
They have reportedly demanded answers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and the army leadership.
The Israeli people won’t “forgive anyone who knowingly endangered the hostages—both the living and the deceased,” the Hostage Families Forum Headquarters said.
Dire Humanitarian Conditions In Gaza
Amid all these, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate.
While health officials have said that there could be “mass deaths” from starvation, 19 people were reportedly dead due to hunger.
Reports have said that hospitals are facing shortages of fuel, medicine, and food, which have resulted in dire operational conditions for health workers.
Many workers are eating just once a day, and hundreds of Palestinians are visiting the hospitals while suffering from exhaustion and malnutrition.
Meanwhile, reports added that an Israeli special unit arrested Marwan al-Hams while conducting a raid on a hospital working under the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Reportedly, al-Hams is the chief of field hospitals in Gaza.
The Red Cross has refused to comment on these reports.
