Source: The Guardian
Israel launches air and ground offensive on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza
Military targets key humanitarian hub that was relatively unscathed by war after ordering Palestinians to leave
Peter Beaumont
Mon 21 Jul 2025 12.14 BST
Last modified on Mon 21 Jul 2025 13.18 BST
Israel has launched substantial air raids and a ground operation in Gaza, targeting Deir al-Balah, the main hub for humanitarian efforts in the devastated Palestinian territory, amid growing warnings of widening starvation in the coastal strip.
The latest assault comes a day after the highest death toll in 21 months inflicted by the Israeli military on desperate Palestinians seeking food aid, with at least 85 killed on Sunday in what has become a grim and almost daily slaughter.
The UN food agency, the World Food Programme, said the majority of those killed on Sunday had gathered near the border fence with Israel in the hope of getting flour from a UN aid convoy when they were fired on by Israeli tanks and snipers.
Witnesses described massive airstrikes overnight in Deir al-Balah – the last remaining area of Gaza that has not suffered significant war damage.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/21/israel-launches-air-ground-offensive-deir-al-balah-central-gaza
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