Israel orders evacuations in central Gaza as ceasefire talks stall and military offensive widens

AP , Sunday 20 Jul 2025

The Israeli military published new evacuation warnings for areas of central Gaza on Sunday, in one of the few areas the military has rarely operated with ground troops.

Demonstrators and journalists march in a protest against hunger in the Rimal district of Gaza City on July 19, 2025. AFP

The evacuation cuts access between the city of Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in the narrow enclave.

The announcement comes as Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that expanding Israeli military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas to negotiate, though negotiations have been stalled for months.

The area of Gaza under the evacuation order is also where many international organisations attempting to distribute aid are located. The organisations did not immediately comment on the evacuation warnings.

Military spokesman Avichay Adraee warned that the military will attack “with intensity” against militants. He called for residents, including those sheltering in tents, to head to the Muwasi area, a desolate tent camp on Gaza’s southern shore that the Israeli military has designated a humanitarian zone.

Gaza’s population of more than 2 million Palestinians are in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

The Israeli war began on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. More than half of the dead have been women and children.

The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the U.N. and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.

The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organisation that represents many of the families of captives, condemned the evacuation announcement and demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military explain what they hope to accomplish in the area of central Gaza, accusing Israel of operating without a clear war plan.

“Enough! The Israeli people overwhelmingly want an end to the fighting and a comprehensive agreement that will return all of the hostages,” the forum said. On Saturday night, during the weekly protest, tens of thousands of protesters marched in Tel Aviv, demonstrating for an end to the war.