Palestinians Flee Gaza City as Israel Pushes Ahead With Ground Offensive
Tens of thousands of Palestinians are leaving Gaza City as Israel begins the early stages of a major ground operation. The move follows days of relentless airstrikes and artillery fire that have already devastated much of the city, home to more than a million people.
Israeli forces have now taken up positions on Gaza City’s outskirts, with troops moving into areas such as Zeitoun and Jabalia. Officials say these are only the first steps in a larger plan to capture the city entirely — a plan that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists will be carried out “sooner than expected” to crush what he called Hamas’s “last strongholds.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that brigades are operating on the ground, uncovering tunnels and weapons stockpiles, while urging civilians to evacuate south. Defense Minister Israel Katz has already approved the operation, and 60,000 reservists are being called up to support active-duty soldiers.
The escalation has triggered urgent warnings from international leaders and aid agencies. UN Secretary General António Guterres renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire, warning that further assaults would bring “death and destruction on a massive scale.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also cautioned that pressing ahead would “plunge the region into permanent war.” The International Committee of the Red Cross echoed those concerns, warning that displacement and heavier fighting could create a “catastrophic” humanitarian collapse for Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.
Life in Gaza City has already become unbearable for many. Local officials say entire neighborhoods, including Zeitoun and Sabra, are under constant bombardment. Families are being torn apart — among the latest casualties were three children and their parents killed when their home in the Shati refugee camp was hit.
Aid groups stress that people urgently need food, clean water, medicine, and safe shelter. “After months of nonstop hostilities, families in Gaza are exhausted and broken,” the Red Cross said in a statement. “They don’t need more fear — they need relief and a chance to breathe.”
Meanwhile, families of Israeli hostages remain fearful that a ground assault could further endanger their loved ones. Around 50 hostages are still believed to be in Gaza, though only 20 are thought to be alive.
Regional mediators, including Egypt and Qatar, have put forward a new proposal for a 60-day truce that would see half of the hostages released. Hamas has signaled its acceptance of the plan, but Israel has yet to respond formally. Israeli officials say they will no longer settle for partial agreements and want a comprehensive deal covering all hostages.
Hamas, for its part, accused Netanyahu of deliberately rejecting compromise and continuing a “war against civilians.”
Israel’s military campaign began after the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel in October 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages taken. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry says over 62,000 Palestinians have been killed, with the toll climbing daily.
Despite growing international criticism, Israel’s leaders remain committed to their goal of seizing Gaza City in its entirety. As the fighting intensifies, hundreds of thousands more Palestinians may be forced to flee — and the humanitarian crisis looks set to deepen further.
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