Israel issues new evacuation orders in central Gaza city

The Israeli army has announced new evacuation orders for parts of central Gaza, telling residents of Deir al-Balah to leave immediately and move towards al-Mawasi on the coast.

“The (Israeli) Defense Forces continues to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area,” the military said, after dropping leaflets over several districts in the south-west of the city.

This is the first time since the start of the war in October 2023 that Israel has ordered evacuations from Deir al-Balah, a city that has not yet seen a full ground invasion. The area is now packed with tents sheltering people who have already fled from other parts of Gaza.

The sudden orders have caused panic among tens of thousands of Palestinians, as well as among families of Israeli hostages believed to be held nearby.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has already carried out air strikes in the area, but no troops have entered Deir al-Balah yet. The evacuation orders come amid growing alarm about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Health officials at Gaza City's Shifa Hospital said that more than 50 people were killed and dozens more injured on Sunday morning, after Israeli fire hit crowds waiting for UN aid trucks. Similar scenes were reported in the south.

The UN says civilians are starving and has called for urgent delivery of basic supplies.

Since the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began work in May, there have been daily reports of people being shot while trying to collect aid. 

Witnesses say Israeli forces are behind most of these deaths, while Israel says the aid system stops supplies reaching Hamas.

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV called for an “immediate end to the barbarity of the war” and condemned the “indiscriminate use of force”. 

His comments followed an Israeli air strike that hit Gaza’s only Catholic Church. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country “deeply regrets” the incident.

The war began after Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. Since then, more than 58,895 people in Gaza have been killed by Israeli attacks, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.