Israel ramps up ground operation as tanks enter central Gaza

For the first time since the war on Gaza began, Israeli tanks entered the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah overnight between July 21st and 22nd, according to Radio France Internationale (RFI).

The ground incursion followed evacuation orders issued on July 20th, triggering the mass departure of thousands of Palestinians on foot or in carts. But those unable to escape have described scenes of horror and gunfire.

According to Israeli army radio, the operation aims to “destroy terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.” RFI’s special correspondent in Jerusalem, Aabla Jounaïdi, noted that Israel had previously avoided large-scale military action in Deir al-Balah due to concerns over the potential presence of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Despite military assurances that the operation would not “put them in great danger,” Palestinian residents have reported attacks on residential areas. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that between 50,000 and 80,000 civilians were present in the area at the time.

Medical sources reported at least three deaths on the morning of July 22nd. “There are several injured, but no one can access the zone to evacuate them,” said Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defence. Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced the death of one soldier, killed during “combat” in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Deir al-Balah had become a hub for humanitarian infrastructure after the Israeli offensive on Rafah in 2024, aiming to cater for 50,000 people. Part of that population has now been forced to flee once again. Aid agencies have voiced serious concern, especially after two UN facilities were struck despite their coordinates being shared with the Israeli military on July 21st.

Among the targets were the residence of World Health Organization (WHO) staff and a WHO warehouse. Several staff members were detained. “Women and children were forced to evacuate the area on foot,” while “male personnel and some of their family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on site, and held at gunpoint,” wrote WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X.

Israel’s army radio has said that the operation is anticipated to go on for “several weeks.”

Meanwhile, Hamas-affiliated military forces claimed they ambushed an Israeli tank south of Deir al-Balah, although no confirmed casualty toll has been announced. 

Radio France Internationale, Maghrebi.org