Hamas leaders in Gaza go silent as IDF pushes into Deir al-Balah, UN repeats call for ceasefire

As the Israeli military continues ground operations in Gaza, it pushed into the central town of Deir al-Balah on Monday, for the first time during this war. Reports suggest the move may be complicating efforts by the Hamas delegation in Doha, Qatar.

According to a report in The Times of Israel, the Hamas negotiators in Qatar have been unable to contact military leaders in Gaza for several days now.

Last week, the Israeli delegation submitted a revised map of the IDF troop redeployment plan during the 60-day ceasefire, in which the military agreed to withdraw from several areas seized during Operation Gideon’s Chariots. That map led mediators to believe a deal was close. 

However, since the new Israeli maps were presented on Thursday, there has been no advancement in the talks, with a source telling The Times of Israel that the Hamas delegation has not received any response from the leaders in Gaza. 

A report by Channel 12 News said that Israeli officials are not optimistic, believing that a deal could still be two or three weeks away at the earliest. The network claimed that the Israeli government is considering recalling its delegation from Qatar over delays in the negotiations. 

Former IDF international spokesman Jonathan Conricus told CNN that the IDF’s push into Deir al-Balah is meant to convince Hamas leaders of Israel’s seriousness in destroying the terror organization and to apply pressure towards a hostage-ceasefire deal. 

Why is the @IDF operating in central Gaza Strip (Deir al Balah)? Because Israel wants a deal and is trying to impress upon the remaining Hamas leadership that if they don’t agree to a deal, Israel will launch the final big offensive in Gaza. Part of my @CNN interview… pic.twitter.com/tURf7S72d2

— Jonathan Conricus (@jconricus) July 21, 2025

Meanwhile, Palestinian media claimed that around 21 Palestinians were killed in strikes on Tuesday morning, 14 in the area of al-Shati Refugee Camp west of Gaza City, and another 7 near the Netzarim Corridor, where they were reported to have been waiting for humanitarian aid.

The Palestinian Authority’s Wafa News agency claimed that the 7 Palestinians waiting for aid were killed by IDF soldiers, citing medical sources in Gaza.

However, the news agency often reports information by the Hamas-operated Gaza Civil Defense Agency, which has come under criticism by analysts and fact-checkers for its bias. 

At the same time, the World Health Organization reported that during IDF advances in Deir al-Balah on Monday, its operations were compromised after the IDF destroyed one of its warehouses, and instructed staff in the area to evacuate to al-Muwasi humanitarian zone. 

WHO operations compromised following attacks on warehouse and facility sheltering staff and families in Gaza

WHO condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on a building housing WHO staff in Deir al Balah, in the middle area of Gaza, the mistreatment of those sheltering there,… pic.twitter.com/CWe68tNiX9

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 21, 2025

The UN organization also accused the IDF of detaining several male staff members, at least one of whom remains in detention. The WHO called for his immediate release. 

The UN has also warned that the offensive into Deir al-Balah puts Gaza’s southern desalination plant and water infrastructure at risk. 

“The loss of this facility would be catastrophic for the people who depend on it for access to fresh water,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during a press briefing on Monday. 

Dujarric said that over 87% of Gaza is under IDF evacuation orders, further complicating efforts to maintain proper hygiene, including clean drinking water. The UN repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire. 

An IDF soldier was killed in Khan Younis on Monday, in a possible weapons misfire incident. 

Staff Sgt. Amit Cohen, 19, of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion, was killed in the explosion, which also seriously wounded an officer from the same unit.

The IDF said it is investigating the incident, in which Israeli munitions exploded in a building, noting that it could be due to an “operational accident.” 

An IDF reservist soldier was also killed in an explosion in the area of Rafah. Sgt. Maj. (res.) Vladimir Loza, 36, of the 5th Brigade’s 7020th Battalion, was killed after an explosion caused the collapse of the building where Loza was located. Initial investigations indicate it could have been a Hamas IED.

The deaths of Cohen and Loza bring the number of IDF soldiers killed in military operations in Gaza and along the border strip to 456.