Dozens killed, thousands displaced as reckless Israel intensifies onslaught in Gaza

A series of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza City have killed at least 32 people, including 12 children, as the Israeli military steps up its campaign in the densely populated urban centre. Medical staff at Shifa Hospital, where the bodies were taken, confirmed the death toll on Saturday.

The attacks, which took place overnight and into the early hours of Saturday, come amid Israel’s ongoing push to seize control of Gaza City — the largest Palestinian city and, according to Israeli officials, the last remaining stronghold of Hamas.

In recent days, Israel has issued evacuation orders to residents while increasing aerial bombardments, targeting several high-rise buildings it accuses Hamas of using for surveillance operations.

Among those killed was a family of 10 in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, including a mother and her three children, health officials reported. Images from the area showed buildings reduced to rubble and thick plumes of smoke rising after the strikes, according to The Associated Press.

Israel's military has not yet responded to media queries regarding the most recent attacks.

Despite repeated evacuation warnings, hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped in Gaza City under dire humanitarian conditions, including widespread hunger and lack of access to basic services. Aid workers say the number of people fleeing the city has surged in recent weeks, yet many residents are unable to leave due to financial barriers or repeated displacement.

“In a message on social media Saturday, Israel's army told the remaining Palestinians in Gaza City to leave ‘immediately’ and move south to what it's calling a humanitarian zone,” said army spokesman Avichay Adraee. He added that over 250,000 people have left the Gaza City area, which originally housed around one million residents.

However, the United Nations places that figure significantly lower, estimating that more than 100,000 people have evacuated between mid-August and mid-September. The UN and other humanitarian agencies have cautioned that mass displacement will further deepen the crisis. Southern areas designated by Israel as safe zones are already severely overcrowded, with families reportedly paying upwards of $1,000 for transportation and temporary accommodation.

A UN-led effort to bring temporary shelter into Gaza has also faced setbacks. As of last week, more than 86,000 tents and aid supplies were still awaiting clearance to enter the territory.