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Published 07/21/2025Published July 21, 2025last updated 07/21/2025last updated July 21, 2025The Israel Defense Forces said it was "expanding activities" in Deir al-Balah and issued evacuation orders. In the 21 months of war, Israel had not launched a ground offensive in the city in central Gaza. DW has more.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xknQ
Palestinians began to flee Deir al-Balah on Sunday after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders ahead of a ground assaultImage: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP/picture allianceWhat you need to know
- For the first time since the October 7 massacre, Israel has launched ground in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
- The offensive came a day after what aid groups and local officials called one of the deadliest day for Gazans seeking aid, with at least 67 people killed by Israeli forces.
Here is a roundup of developments in Israel, Gaza and the wider Middle East on Monday July 21:
07/21/2025July 21, 2025
Israel launches ground and air assault on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza
The Israeli army expanded its operations, including a ground offensive, on Monday in the city of Deir al-Balah in the center of the Gaza Strip.
It is the first time Israel has launched a ground offensive in Deir al-Balah in the 21 months since it began its attacks in the region in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks.
On Sunday, the Israeli military warned of imminent action against Hamas fighters in the area. An army spokesman called on residents to leave the area in a post in Arabic on X.
The Israeli military continues "to operate with intensity to eliminate terrorists and to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area and is expanding its activities into new areas," the army said in a statement. "For your safety, immediately evacuate southward toward Al-Mawasi."
Situated in the southwest of the embattled area, Al-Mawasi was designated by Israel as a "humanitarian zone" earlier in the war. However, Israel has since attacked there multiple times, with its military saying it was targeting Hamas facilities.
Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned the mass displacement order had dealt "yet another devastating blow" to the Gaza Strip.
Initial estimates indicated that between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area when Sunday's order was given, including some
30,000 people sheltering in 57 displacement sites, OCHA said in a statement.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xko6
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage07/21/2025July 21, 2025
Welcome to our coverage
Israel has launched a ground offensive in Deir al-Balah, a city in central Gaza.
This comes after the Israeli military warned of imminent action against Hamas fighters in the area and issued evacuation orders.
Follow along as DW brings you the latest reports, explainers and analysis on developments across the Middle East.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xktf
