Fear grips Gaza City as Israeli forces push toward the centre, trapping civilians
Residents flee relentless airstrikes and bomb-laden drones, while vital services in the city’s largest urban hub collapse
The Israeli army is pressing into central Gaza City from both the northwest and southeast, effectively “sandwiching” residents and forcing thousands towards the coast in an effort to empty the enclave’s largest urban center.
Army spokesperson Nadav Shoshani told Reuters on Thursday that infantry units, tanks, and artillery backed by the air force were pushing deeper into the city to tighten pressure on Hamas. He described how forces advancing from two fronts were driving people westward toward the al-Rashid coastal road, Gaza’s main southern artery.
“The bombardments in crowded neighborhoods are sparking panic, with families literally running for their lives,” said news correspondent reporting from Nuseirat in central Gaza.
Residents described relentless air raids, with drones, fighter jets, and remote controlled vehicles rigged with explosives being deployed by Israeli troops to demolish entire blocks as they moved inward.
At least 40 Palestinians were killed in Gaza City on Thursday, according to medical sources.
Collapse of lifelines
The exodus has forced families into repeated displacement across a territory with no safe zones. Many fear this time they may never return home. Yet a large population remains: the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics estimated that as of Tuesday, some 740,000 peoplearound 35 percent of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents were still in the north. With constant bombardments and vanishing basic services, officials warn that number is rapidly shrinking.
The UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) said Gaza City’s last lifelines were collapsing, accusing Israel of “systematically blocking” aid. The agency cited the closure of the Zikim crossing to the famine-stricken north and bans on certain food items.
‘Blatant disregard’
Elsewhere in the enclave, at least 10 more Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire. In Rafah, the Israeli army confirmed the deaths of four of its soldiers in overnight fighting.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Palestine accused Israel of showing “blatant disregard” for international law by failing to distinguish between civilians and combatants in its bombardments.
Meanwhile, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding a Gaza ceasefire, unrestricted aid access, and the release of hostages. The UK’s envoy, Barbara Woodward, warned that “Israel’s reckless expansion of its military operation takes us further away from a deal that could bring the hostages home and end the suffering in Gaza.”
Watch This Important Video
