The central camps are, in effect, the last operational and symbolic bastion of Hamas rule in Gaza For more than 650 days of war in Gaza, one swathe of territory remained mostly untouched by Israeli ground maneuvers: the dense, urban core of the central camps – Nuseirat, Deir al-Balah, Maghazi and Bureij. That pattern has now decisively changed. On Sunday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued evacuation orders for southern Deir al-Balah. Within 24 hours, the area was under sustained