Israel ordered new evacuations in central Gaza on Sunday, signalling a possible ground push into Deir al‑Balah just as aid groups warn that starvation is spreading and hospitals are overwhelmed.
Leaflets dropped over several southern districts of Deir al‑Balah told residents—many already displaced—to move farther south. The Israel Defense Forces said it plans to “expand operations” against Hamas in areas it has not previously entered, prompting hostage families to demand assurances their loved ones will not be endangered. At least 20 of about 50 hostages still held in Gaza are thought to be alive.
Health officials at Al‑Shifa Hospital said Israeli fire killed 30 people and wounded dozens more as crowds waited for U.N. food trucks in northern Gaza. Israel said it was checking the report. Local medics counted 45 deaths in separate strikes across the strip on Sunday.
Hunger crisis
Gaza’s Hamas‑run health ministry warned “hundreds risk imminent death” from malnutrition. At least 71 children have died of hunger since the war began, it said, with 60,000 more acutely malnourished. Residents told Reuters they survive on one meal a day—if any. UNRWA accused Israel of blocking enough food to feed the enclave for three months; Israel says Hamas diverts supplies and the U.N. fails to collect available aid.
Indirect negotiations in Doha seek a 60‑day ceasefire and hostage deal, but no breakthrough has emerged. Hamas captured 251 hostages during its Oct. 7 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel; Israel’s offensive has since killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza authorities, and displaced nearly the entire population.