The Israeli army stated in a statement today, Saturday: “Sergeant First Class (Reserves) Ariel Lubliner, aged 34, a fighter in the Logistics Unit 6036, Division 36, fell in battle south of the Gaza Strip.” Israel is looking to reach a comprehensive deal to ensure the return of those detained by the Palestinian Hamas movement in exchange for ending the war on the Gaza Strip, based on five principles set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These include the release and return of all detainees, disarming Gaza, imposing Israeli control, and establishing a civilian administration not associated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli government approved a plan on August 8 to displace about one million Palestinians from the southern sector before surrounding the city and beginning incursion operations. This has already started with a wide-scale attack on the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood, involving bombing and forced displacement.
Last Wednesday, the Israeli army called on “residents of Gaza City and the northern sector to move south,” in a statement it described as important, stating that “evacuating Gaza City is inevitable.” It added that “before the transition, there are vast empty areas in the southern sector, as is the case in the central camps and Mawasi.”
The statement continued: “Evacuating Gaza City is inevitable, and therefore every family moving south will receive provisions being worked on these days, as the army has begun working on setting up tents and preparing areas for establishing humanitarian aid distribution centers, extending water lines, and more.”
From October 7, 2023, to August 21, 2025, the war on Gaza has resulted in the death of about 62,000 Palestinians, in addition to approximately 157,000 injured, according to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
