For the first time since the war began, IDF forces launched ground maneuvers on Monday in southern Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
The force is led by the Golani Brigade Combat Team and includes both engineering and armoured forces.
The ground operation began in the afternoon, after preparatory air and artillery strikes overnight and throughout the morning.
The ground maneuvers come one day after IDF Arabic Language Spokesman Avichay Adraee issued a message demanding that Gazans in southwestern Deir al-Balah evacuate the area.
"The IDF continues to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area, as it expands its activities in this region to operate in an area it has not operated in before. For your safety, evacuate the area immediately and move south toward Al-Mawasi," Adraee stated.
The IDF has so far refrained from operating in the central Gaza "refugee" camps and Deir al-Balah for fear of harming the hostages being held in the area. In the previous releases of hostages, some hostages were released from the area, and footage from there showed buildings unharmed.
The Hostages Families Forum voiced its opposition to the developments, stating: "The families demand that the Prime Minister, Defense Minister, Chief of Staff, and IDF Spokesperson appear before them and the Israeli public this evening to clearly explain why the offensive in the Deir al-Balah area does not put the hostages at serious risk.
"As of this moment, we have received no official, organized updates or satisfactory answers on this matter. The people of Israel will not forgive anyone who knowingly endangered the hostages—both the living and the deceased. No one will be able to claim they didn't know what was at stake," it added.