Gaza/Washington, June 29, 2025: As hopes rise for a potential cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, Israel on Sunday issued new evacuation orders for large areas of northern Gaza, prompting renewed fears of mass displacement amid ongoing military operations. The move came as U.S. President Donald Trump publicly pushed for a breakthrough in the 20-month-long war, calling for an urgent agreement to secure the release of remaining hostages and end the fighting.
“MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!” Trump posted on his platform Truth Social, signaling pressure on both sides to finalize terms of a deal. Trump also confirmed ongoing behind-the-scenes efforts, adding that “we’re working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.”
Israeli Cabinet Minister Ron Dermer, a close aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to travel to Washington this week for cease-fire discussions, according to Israeli officials. Plans are also reportedly underway for Netanyahu to visit Washington in the coming weeks—signaling possible movement toward a comprehensive deal.
However, negotiations remain stalled on a central issue: whether a cease-fire should include an end to the war. Hamas has insisted it will only release hostages in exchange for a full Israeli military withdrawal and a permanent end to hostilities. Israel has rejected this, demanding Hamas disarm, surrender, and agree to exile, terms the group refuses.
President Trump also used his social media platform to condemn Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, calling it a distraction from cease-fire negotiations.
“How is it possible that the Prime Minister of Israel can be forced to sit in a courtroom all day long, over NOTHING, while he is negotiating a deal to bring hostages home?” Trump wrote.
The statement has drawn criticism in Israel for its unprecedented interference in domestic affairs. Nonetheless, an Israeli court on Sunday postponed two additional days of Netanyahu’s trial, citing national security developments.
While diplomatic efforts continue, the Israeli military on Sunday ordered mass evacuations from several neighborhoods in northern and eastern Gaza City, including the Jabaliya refugee camp. The move affects hundreds of thousands of civilians who had returned earlier this year during a brief cease-fire.
Israeli military spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee announced the evacuation on social media, urging residents to move south to the Muwasi area, already overcrowded with displaced Palestinians.
Rights groups have raised alarms over what they describe as forcible displacement, warning that the continued relocation of civilians could constitute a violation of international law.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Sunday that 88 more Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 56,500 since the war began in October 2023. The ongoing conflict has displaced the majority of Gaza’s population—many multiple times—and devastated the enclave’s infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and homes.
The war erupted following a Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in around 250 hostages being taken. About 50 hostages remain in captivity, with fewer than half believed to be alive.
