Gaza offensive escalates, Tel Aviv renews protests for hostage deal

Israel reissued a broad evacuation order Sunday morning for residents of Gaza City and Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, warning civilians to leave the area ahead of intensified military operations.

The region had already been declared a combat zone on May 29 and remains off-limits. The Israeli military urged residents to move toward the designated humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, along Gaza’s southern coast.

“The IDF is operating with extreme force in these areas,” said IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee. “Operations will escalate, intensify, and extend westward to the city center to destroy the capabilities of the terrorist organizations.” He added that Hamas was “bringing disaster” upon civilians, warning that returning to these areas posed a grave threat to their lives.

The renewed evacuation order came just a day after thousands of Israelis resumed mass demonstrations demanding a hostage deal and criticising the government’s handling of the war. The Saturday night rally in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square and nearby Begin Road marked the first major protest in three weeks, following a pause during 12 days of fighting with Iran.

Despite no official confirmation, recent reports suggest the U.S. and Israel are exploring a framework to end the war in Gaza through a deal that would secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages. In a late-night Truth Social post, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israel and Hamas to finalise a ceasefire that would secure the release of hostages taken on October 7.

“MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!” he wrote, appearing to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move forward with an agreement he earlier predicted would be reached “within a week.”

The rising pressure on the government also follows Israel’s announcement that it had eliminated a senior Hamas commander in Gaza. The IDF said that Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa was killed Friday in an airstrike in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood. A founding member of Hamas’ military forces, Issa most recently served as Head of the Combat Support Headquarters, overseeing aerial and naval attacks against both civilians and Israeli troops. He was also deeply involved in planning the October 7 massacre and had been working to restore Hamas’ infrastructure during the ongoing conflict.

The IDF described Issa as one of the last remaining high-level Hamas operatives with prewar authority still active in Gaza. “We will continue to pursue and eliminate all those responsible for the October 7 massacre,” the military said in a statement.

At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead.