Israeli tanks enter Gaza's Deir al-Balah, raising alarm over hostages

Israel's push into Deir al-Balah prompts concern from hostage families and UN agencies, as WHO confirms staff detentions and Gaza warns of starvation deaths

Israeli tanks advanced into the southern and eastern districts of Deir al-Balah in Gaza for the first time on Monday, according to a Reuters report. The military had previously avoided these areas over suspicions that Hamas was holding hostages there.

 

Deir al-Balah is densely populated with Palestinians displaced over nearly 22 months of conflict. Following an evacuation order from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), hundreds of residents fled west and south as the military signalled plans to dismantle Hamas’s infrastructure in the district.

 

Homes, mosques shelled

 

Local medical said tank shelling hit residential areas and mosques, killing at least three Palestinians and injuring several more.

 

 

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that two UN guesthouses were also struck, despite the Israeli military being informed of their coordinates. “UN staff remain in Deir al-Balah, and two UN guesthouses have been struck, despite parties having been informed of the locations of UN premises, which are inviolable. These locations – as with all civilian sites – must be protected, regardless of evacuation orders,” he said.

 

WHO says staff, family members detained

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that its staff accommodation and main warehouse in Deir al-Balah were also hit. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said two WHO personnel and two of their relatives were detained by Israeli forces. Three were later released, while one remains in custody.

 

Hostage families demand clarity from Israeli leadership

 

Israeli military forces had refrained from entering this area due to concerns that Hamas may be holding hostages there. It is estimated that around 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are still alive. Families of the captives have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz, and the Chief of the Army to explain what measures are being taken to protect the hostages amid the new offensive.

 

Gaza warns of mass deaths due to hunger

 

Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 130 Palestinians had been killed and over 1,000 injured across the territory in the past 24 hours—one of the highest casualty tolls in weeks. The ministry, operated by Hamas, warned of possible “mass deaths” due to starvation, which it says has already killed at least 19 people since Saturday.

 

Hospitals face severe shortages

 

Health officials warned that hospitals are running critically low on fuel, medical supplies, and food. Khalil Al-Deqran, a spokesperson for the ministry, said that medical workers are surviving on a single meal per day, with patients arriving in critical condition from exhaustion and malnutrition.

 

“Israel has the obligation to allow and facilitate by all the means at its disposal the humanitarian relief provided by the United Nations and by other humanitarian organizations,” Dujarric reiterated.