Why Israel had not attacked the city of Deir Al-Balah so far, “the last bastion of Hamas” in Center of Gaza

Smoke columns over the city — Photo foot, Israel launched the first land offensive in this city since the beginning of the war in Gaza.

- Author, Writing
- Author's title, BBC News World
2 hours

The Israel Defense Forces (FDI) launched on Monday a land and aerial offensive over the city of Deir Al-Balah, in the center of Gaza.

This coastal town in the center of the strip had remained largely safe from Israeli land incursions during the more than 21 months of war against Hamas.

The offensive, preceded by evacuation orders on the eve, unleashed panic among the tens of thousands of Palestinians who had taken refuge there after fleeing other parts of Gaza.

Images spread on social networks show explosions and shots in the city, while Israeli tanks advanced under artillery coverage and aerial bombing.

Deir Al-Balah had become one of the few places in Gaza where basic infrastructure, such as medical centers and water plants.

He also housed operations of humanitarian agencies, which now are threatened their ability to act.

The attack on Deir Al-Balah

The offensive of Deir Al-Balah began hours after the Israeli forces issued evacuation orders aimed at six residential blocks in the southwest of the city, generating panic scenes between tens of thousands of displaced.

Many of them fled to the coastal area of Al-Mawasi, near Jan Yunis, one of the few spaces considered relatively safe in the south of the enclave.

People evacuating — Photo foot, Thousands of displaced fled in a hurry after the evacuation order.

According to local journalists cited by the BBC, Israeli military tanks and vehicles advanced from the nearby Kisufim control post after intense air and artillery bombings.

Terrestrial troops went into the city, which was attacked with dozens of projectiles.

The UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordination Office (OCHA) described the order of displacement prior to attack as “other devastating blow” for humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

Why Israel had not attacked so far

Deir Al-Balah, which in Arabic means “monastery of dates”, had been subject to bombing in some of its peripheral areas, but had not received massive attacks or land incursions until Monday.

The absence of fighting had made the city one of the main destinations for tens of thousands of Palestinians displaced from other areas of the enclave.

Unlike other areas devastated by war, in Deir Al-Balah numerous buildings were still standing, medical points worked, there was drinking water thanks to a desalination plant and waste collection services were maintained.

After the entry of Israeli troops in southern Gaza more than a year ago, the UN and other humanitarian agencies moved some of its main local operations there.

The Israeli action “Corta Deir Al-Balah … fragmenting the strip further,” warned the UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordination Office (Ocha), and denounced that this will severely limit its ability to operate in Gaza.

Bombings on the city — Photo foot, The attacks were extended for hours on Monday.

One of the reasons why Israel had not launched before a land operation in this area is the possible presence there of Israeli hostages in the hands of Hamas, according to the BBC correspondent in Jerusalem, Yolande Knell.

The fear of putting the lives of the kidnapped Israelis at risk would have dissuaded the armed forces to operate in the area.

The newspaper The Jerusalem Post He also raised this hypothesis and recalled that in June 2024 the Israeli army rescued four hostages in an operation in the nearby Nuseirat field.

The media pointed out that Gaza's central fields, including Deir Al-Balah, have been considered a key bastion of Hamas and a possible place of seclusion of kidnapped, which would explain why they had remained relatively intact so far.

The Jerusalem Post He also explained that the area houses fields of refugees established after 1948 and that Hamas has historically used these places as a basis for recruitment and popular support.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza

The human balance of the Israeli offensive against Hamas in Gaza is being devastating, according to data from local authorities and the UN.

According to the Gazatí Ministry of Health, Hamas, at least 59,029 people have died and more than 142,000 have been injured since the beginning of the war, on October 7, 2023.

Only in the last 24 hours since Sunday, more than 130 Palestinians would have died and more than 1,000 would have been injured.

It is also believed that there are victims under the rubble and in the streets that rescue equipment cannot access.

Palestinian refugees — Photo foot, Attacks to Deir Al-Balah further complicate the situation of the displaced.

In addition, hunger has become a problem as pressing as bombings.

The UN disclosed that at least 19 people died from starvation in Gaza in just one day.

Integrated Food Safety Classification (CPI) warns that more than 1.5 million people – two thirds of the population before the war – are at risk of severe malnutrition or famine.

According to the specialized food security agency, some 500,000 people face a situation of “catastrophe”, the most serious category on its scale, while 1.1 million are in a “emergency” situation.

The UN Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) claims to have sufficient foods stored for three months in deposits near the border in Israel, but denounces that the distribution is severely limited by the restrictions imposed by this country and attacks on those who seek help.

The “suffering” in Gaza “must stop,” the agency said in a statement.

A group of 28 countries, including the United Kingdom, have strongly criticized the Israeli government for their performance in Gaza, which qualified as “unacceptable.”

In a joint statement, which also signed the European commissioner of equality, preparation and crisis management, they condemned the “horrible” slaughter of hundreds of gazaties who tried to obtain food from Israel's help operations.

Israel has rejected criticism by considering them “disconnected from reality”, and has accused its detractors of “not focusing the pressure on Hamas” and of “not recognizing Hamas's role and responsibility in the situation.”