DEIR EL-BALAH – The Israeli military has issued new evacuation alerts for sections of central Gaza, a region where their ground forces have seldom operated.

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

This announcement coincides with ongoing ceasefire discussions between Israel and Hamas in Qatar, although international negotiators report no significant progress. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently stated that escalating Israeli military actions in Gaza would put pressure on Hamas to engage in negotiations, even though talks have been stalled for several months.

The evacuation zone in Gaza is also home to various international aid organizations. These groups have yet to respond to the evacuation notices.

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.

Hamas triggered the 21-month war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain, but fewer than half are thought to be alive.

Israel’s military offensive that followed has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t say how many militants are among the dead but says 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 organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.

The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organization that represents many of the families of hostages, 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.