Israel intensifies Gaza City bombardment, forcing families to flee
Heavy Israeli air strikes on Gaza City have displaced hundreds of thousands amid warnings of a ground offensive.
Israel escalates aerial bombardment of Gaza City
Israeli forces have ramped up heavy air strikes on Gaza City, marking a significant escalation in the conflict. Several apartment blocks and concrete buildings have been reduced to rubble.
Mass displacement and warnings
In recent days, the intensified strikes prompted roughly 250,000 residents to flee southward, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The military said it destroyed a high-rise used for "terrorist operations."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Gaza City as Hamas’s last major stronghold. The United Nations warns that further assaults in an area already declared famine-stricken risk pushing civilians into an "even deeper catastrophe."
Civilian plight and escape attempts
Residents report that schools and makeshift shelters have been targeted with little notice. Many families, including mother Saly Tafeesh and her three children, fled under cover of darkness after a drone killed a close relative.
Traveling south can cost up to $1,100, a price many cannot afford. Hamas leaders have urged civilians to stay, labeling those who leave as cowards. Father-of-nine Rubein Khaled said he had "no choice" but to evacuate.
Regional reactions and international criticism
Qatar condemned the strikes on Hamas officials in Doha, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari calling for global action against Netanyahu. The attack killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer.
U.S. officials said they were notified just minutes before the Doha strike. Cuban President Trump met Qatar’s prime minister in New York days later, while Senator Marco Rubio traveled to Israel in solidarity ahead of a UN vote on Palestinian state recognition.
Humanitarian toll and conflict background
The Hamas-run health ministry reported 47 bodies delivered to hospitals in one day, bringing the estimated death toll from starvation in Gaza to 142 since August. Israel disputes these figures and says it is facilitating aid deliveries.
The current offensive follows Hamas’s 7 October attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages. Gaza’s health ministry estimates over 64,800 Palestinians have died in Israeli operations since then.
Intensified aerial attacks have displaced hundreds of thousands in Gaza City, raising international concerns over humanitarian catastrophe as the conflict escalates.
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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