Israel expands its military operations in central Gaza, despite calls from 25 countries to end the war: 'Nowhere is safe'

The Israeli army launched a ground offensive in the central Gaza Strip on Monday, as 25 countries called for an end to the war in the Palestinian territory, devastated after more than 21 months of conflict.

"The war in Gaza must cease immediately," the foreign ministers of these countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Canada, and France, wrote in a joint statement.

The ministers considered that "the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new levels" and denounced "the Israeli government's refusal to provide essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population."

Furthermore, "the aid distribution model established by the Israeli government is dangerous, fuels instability, and deprives Gazans of their human dignity ," the signatories continue, referring to the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The GHF began operations in late May, following a total humanitarian blockade imposed by Israel for more than two months.

"It is terrifying that more than 800 Palestinians have been killed while trying to obtain aid," the ministers also write.

Last Tuesday, the UN reported that it had counted 875 people who had died trying to obtain food since the end of May, 674 of whom died "near GHF sites."

The signatory countries of this initiative are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Civil Defense and witnesses reported artillery fire in Deir al-Balah, where Israel announced on Monday that it would expand its military operations.

The army said it would even operate "in an area where it had never intervened before" during its war against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, and urged residents to leave.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in that area.

Entire families began to move, carrying their belongings or riding in donkey-drawn carts toward the south, according to AFP correspondents.

"During the night we heard loud explosions," said Abdallah Abu Slim, a 48-year-old resident of the area, mentioning artillery fire.

"We fear that the Israeli army is preparing a ground operation in Deir al-Balah and in the camps in the central Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are crowded ," he added.

Hamdi Abu Mughsib, 50, said he and his family fled north at dawn after a night of intense shelling.

" There is no safe place in the Gaza Strip. I don't know where we can go," he stressed.

"We received calls from families besieged in the Baraka area of Deir al-Balah due to Israeli tank fire," said Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the Gaza Civil Defense.

"There are several injured people, but no one can access the area to evacuate them," he added.

According to him, at least 15 people have died in different parts of the Strip since dawn.

Mai Elawawda, communications officer in Gaza for the British NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians, described the situation as "extremely critical."