The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday that it was about to enter Deir al-Balah, one of the few areas of Gaza relatively untouched by the conflict, and where the remaining Israeli hostages are thought to be held.
The Times of Israel reported:
The Israeli military said Sunday that it was set to begin ground operations in Deir al-Balah for the first time since the start of the war, issuing an evacuation order for Palestinians in the southwest of the city in the central Gaza Strip.
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Deir al-Balah is one of the few places in the Strip where the military has not yet operated with ground troops because it believed Hamas to be holding hostages there, though it has conducted airstrikes in the city. Hamas has vowed to execute captives if the IDF approaches.
The IDF has avoided ground operations in areas where it believes Hamas to be holding hostages, in order not to endanger them.
The IDF advance comes as Israel awaits Hamas’s response to the latest proposals for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. The military operation can be seen as part of an effort to pressure Hamas to agree.
Meanwhile, supporters of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages — 20 of whom are said to still be alive — rallied Saturday night, urging President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal.
There is cautious optimism that a deal can be reached. Both Israel and the U.S. have said, however, that they will not allow Hamas to retain power in Gaza, and that Hamas will have to be disarmed in any deal.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of Trump 2.0: The Most Dramatic ‘First 100 Days’ in Presidential History, available for Amazon Kindle. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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