Israel orders evacuations in northern Gaza as Trump pushes for ceasefire

Residents evacuate from areas of Gaza City on Sunday

Israel has instructed Palestinians to evacuate from certain areas in northern Gaza in anticipation of heightened military operations, as US President Donald Trump advocates for a ceasefire agreement.

Residents in neighborhoods throughout Gaza City and Jabalia have been advised to relocate south towards the coastal region of al-Mawasi as Israeli military activities "intensify and expand westward".

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 86 individuals lost their lives due to Israeli strikes in the 24 hours leading up to midday on Sunday.

Among the deceased were three children, who were killed in an attack on the designated "safe zone" of al-Mawasi, as reported by their parents.

Trump has once again emphasized the need to "make the deal in Gaza" and "retrieve the hostages".

On Saturday, Trump stated on Truth Social that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was currently negotiating a deal with Hamas.

In the meantime, Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), announced on Sunday that the Israeli military was conducting operations in northern Gaza "to eliminate terrorists and their infrastructure."

According to medics and residents, military bombardments intensified in Gaza during the early hours of Sunday, resulting in the destruction of several homes.

Gaza's Hamas-run civil defense agency reported to news outlets that at least 23 individuals had lost their lives on Sunday alone.

Medics indicated that five people were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a tent that housed displaced individuals in al-Mawasi, near the southern city of Khan Younis—an area designated for evacuation for those from the north.

Tragically, five members of the Maarouf family, including three children, were among the deceased.

"They bombed us while we were sleeping on the ground," stated their mother, Iman Abu Maarouf. "We didn't do anything wrong. My children were killed, and the others are in intensive care."

Their father, Zeyad Abu Maarouf, informed Reuters that the family had reached the "safe zone" a month prior after being directed by Israel to move to al-Mawasi.

When the IDF was questioned about the incident, they told the BBC that they could not give a specific answer without additional information, but emphasized that they "adhere to international law and take reasonable measures to reduce civilian casualties."

Additionally, on Sunday, a 20-year-old IDF soldier, Sergeant Yisrael Natan Rosenfeld, lost his life in northern Gaza.

The escalation of Israeli military operations coincides with mediators initiating new attempts to conclude the war and secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

On Thursday, a senior official from Hamas informed the BBC that mediators have ramped up their efforts to negotiate a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza, although talks with Israel are still at a standstill.

Qatari mediators have said they hope US pressure could help to achieve a deal, following a truce between Israel and Iran that ended the 12-day conflict between the countries.

On Sunday, Netanyahu told members of Israel's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet that "victory" over Iran opened up many possibilities, "first and foremost, to rescue the hostages".

"Of course, we will also need to resolve the issue of Gaza, to defeat Hamas, but I believe we will achieve both missions. Beyond that, broad regional opportunities are opening up, in most of which - almost all - you are partners," he said.

Trump previously said he was hopeful a ceasefire in Gaza could be agreed in the next week.

In March, a two-month ceasefire collapsed when Israel launched fresh strikes on Gaza. It said it wanted to put pressure on Hamas to release its hostages.

Israel also imposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza at the start of March, which it partially eased after 11 weeks following pressure from US allies and warnings from global experts that half a million people were facing starvation.

That partial easing included the creation of a US and Israeli-backed aid group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), after Israel accused Hamas of stealing aid. Hamas has denied this.

GHF's aid system has been condemned by UN agencies. There have been repeated incidents of killings and injuries of Palestinians seeking aid.

Juliette Touma, communications director for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, told the BBC that the new mechanism was "a killing field". She said the distribution of aid in an orderly way could only be done through the UN and other humanitarian organisations.

GHF boss Johnnie Moore previously told the BBC World Service's Newshour he did not deny deaths near aid sites, but said "100% of those casualties are being attributed to close proximity to GHF" and that was "not true".

The previous ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas - which started on 19 January - was set up to have three stages, but did not make it past the first stage.

Stage two included establishing a permanent ceasefire, the return of remaining living hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Trump has called for ongoing corruption charges against Netanyahu to be dropped, describing proceedings as a "political witch hunt" delaying ceasefire negotiations.

On Sunday, an Israeli court accepted a request by the Israeli prime minister to delay his scheduled testimony for a week, due to diplomatic and security issues.

Netanyahu was charged in 2019 with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, all of which he denies.

Earlier in the week, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Trump should not "intervene in a legal process of an independent state".

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Since then, 56,500 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.