Israeli forces on Tuesday deepened an operation in Gaza City despite warnings from Hamas leaders that the offensive could harm ongoing cease-fire talks.
The Israeli military said its forces were fighting in the Shejaiya area and had killed dozens of militants.
The U.N. Human Rights Office expressed concern Tuesday about the operation and Israel’s latest civilian evacuation orders.
The U.N. agency said the orders issued Sunday called for civilians to move to the west of Gaza City in order to be safe, only to then have the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intensify their strikes on those corridors.
“The U.N. Human Rights Office has repeatedly raised concerns that IDF’s evacuation orders are confusing, often instructing people to relocate to areas where IDF military operations are ongoing. We reiterate our call on Israel to take all efforts to ensure the safety of civilians in Gaza,” the agency said in a statement.
Mediators in Egypt are working to try to achieve a long-sought halt in the fighting in Gaza.
The White House said Monday that U.S. officials are in Egypt for discussions designed to lead to a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Monday that CIA Director Bill Burns and Brett McGurk, the U.S. Middle East envoy, were in Cairo for talks with their Egyptian, Israeli and Jordanian counterparts.
“There are still some gaps that remain in the two sides in the positions, but we wouldn’t have sent a team over there if we didn’t think that we had a shot here,” Kirby said. “We’re trying to close those gaps as best we can.
Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and captured about 250 hostages in their Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war.
Israel’s counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 38,100 Palestinians according to the health ministry in Gaza. Israel says it believes Hamas is still holding 116 hostages, including 42 the military says are dead.
Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
