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Israeli forces launched a major air and ground assault on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza early Tuesday, hours after issuing evacuation orders for residents in the city’s southwestern districts. The BBC reports the operation targeted an area sheltering thousands displaced from Rafah and Khan Younis. Witnesses described Israeli tanks and military vehicles advancing under heavy artillery and fighter cover from the Kisufim checkpoint.
Local journalists confirmed dozens of shells struck Abu al-‘Ajin and Hikr al-Jami’ neighborhoods as ground forces moved in. Social media footage showed explosions and sustained gunfire during the incursion. Thousands fled overnight to the coastal area of al-Mawasi near Khan Younis—one of Gaza’s last relatively safe zones.
At least three Palestinians were killed and others wounded by Israeli tank fire in southern and eastern Deir al-Balah, according to medical sources cited by *The Guardian*. Tank shells reportedly hit eight homes and three mosques. Earlier strikes in al-Mawasi killed five family members, while two others died in Jabalia, northern Gaza.
Amid escalating violence, Pope Francis and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the crisis in a phone call Tuesday. The Vatican stated the Pope reiterated demands for “full respect of International Humanitarian Law,” civilian protection, and an end to indiscriminate force and forced displacement. He emphasized urgent humanitarian aid access for vulnerable populations.
Starvation compounds the catastrophe: At least 19 Palestinians, including a four-year-old girl, died from malnutrition in Gaza over 24 hours, per Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. CNN reports 76 children have succumbed to starvation since October 2023. Al Jazeera adds that Israeli attacks killed at least 27 Gazans since dawn Tuesday, including four awaiting aid.
Diplomatic pressure surged as Italy and 22 other nations demanded an immediate end to the war. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and European counterparts declared: “We are united by a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.”