Hamas says the escalation of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip is not helping negotiations to end the war and has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of creating obstacles to the talks.
In a statement on Monday, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh warned that the “catastrophic consequences of what is happening in Gaza” could “reset the negotiation process to square one.”
Netanyahu and his army will bear “full responsibility for the collapse of this road,” Haniyeh was quoted as saying by Hamas.
The statement said Haniyeh made “urgent contact” with mediators Qatar and Egypt over escalating actions by the Israeli military, which has issued more evacuation orders for areas in Gaza City neighborhoods, displacing thousands of Palestinians, many of whom have been forced to move several times.
On Sunday, the Israeli army ordered the “immediate” evacuation of the Tuffah, Daraj and Old City neighborhoods of northern Gaza City.
In a separate statement, Hamas accused Netanyahu of escalating “his aggression and crimes against our people” in what it said were “attempts to forcibly displace them in order to thwart all efforts to reach an agreement.”
Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, said Palestinians had been ordered to evacuate to the central Gaza Strip despite the area already being “overwhelmed” with large numbers of displaced Palestinians from across the enclave.
Most of the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza have been displaced, with hundreds of thousands crammed into stifling tent camps.
Khoudary said he had spoken to Palestinians who decided not to evacuate as there was “nowhere safe to go”. He said they did not “want to lose their dignity by being displaced in makeshift camps and not being able to access food”. [and] water”.
Israeli forces have also attacked tent camps housing displaced Palestinians. On June 8, Israeli forces attacked the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 274 Palestinians in order to free four Israeli captives held there.
Israel has killed at least 38,193 Palestinians and wounded 87,903 others since Oct. 7, the Gaza Health Ministry said Monday. In the past 24 hours, 40 Palestinians have been killed, the ministry said.
Israel expands its military operations
Israeli tanks have advanced into the heart of Gaza City as its military ordered residents to leave the city following a night of massive shelling in areas it says had been largely cleared months ago.
Residents said the airstrikes and artillery shelling were among the most intense in nine months of what many human rights experts and governments have called genocide.
The Israeli military said it had intelligence showing Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) fighters were in the Gaza City area and called on residents to head south to the city of Deir el-Balah.
In Shujayea, a Gaza City neighborhood that has been the scene of weeks of fighting, the Israeli military said troops had attacked and destroyed schools and a clinic.
Khoudary said the Israeli military had expanded ground operations around Shujayea.
“Some people tried to evacuate the place. Some people fled under the intense artillery shelling and airstrikes; others were trapped and could not get out,” he said.
On Monday, Al Jazeera Arabic's correspondent reported that more evacuation orders had been issued for the Rimal neighbourhood in central Gaza City.
The new Israeli offensive comes as Egypt, Qatar and the United States step up efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas has dropped its demand that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before the Palestinian movement signs a deal.
But Netanyahu's office reiterated in a statement Sunday that “any agreement will allow Israel to return.” [to Gaza] and fight until all the objectives of the war are achieved.”
As talks repeatedly fail due to differences between the sides, mediators Egypt and Qatar were scheduled to hold new meetings this week, officials said.
