The Israeli army on Saturday issued another evacuation order for residents of Gaza City, warning of imminent strikes on residential areas.
Civilians were told to flee from the Al-Ruya building and nearby tents in the Beirut Junction and Arab League University Street area, after the army claimed the presence of Hamas infrastructure in or near the sites.
The announcement came alongside the declaration of an expanded military phase under Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, aimed at seizing full control of the city.
This latest stage of the campaign is part of a wider strategy approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet last month. The plan, advanced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, envisions the gradual reoccupation of the Gaza Strip beginning with Gaza City.
It involves the displacement of around one million Palestinians southward, encirclement of the urban centre, and then an intensified military assault to establish full occupation. The decision marks a sharp escalation after nearly two years of conflict that has left the territory devastated.
Humanitarian zones under fire
Israeli authorities have designated the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis as a so-called humanitarian zone and al-Rashid Street as a humanitarian corridor.
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Yet Al-Mawasi has been repeatedly bombed during the war, killing hundreds of civilians who had sought refuge in the area. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are now packed into the zone, enduring dire conditions without adequate food, sanitation, or medical facilities.
Despite this, the army once again called on residents of Gaza City to move there, intensifying fears that evacuation orders are being used as tools of forced displacement rather than genuine humanitarian measures.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that the death toll has risen to at least 64,300 Palestinians since the war began in October 2023. More than 162,000 have been injured.
The figures continue to rise daily, with 69 bodies brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours alone and 422 people injured. Rescue teams say many victims remain trapped under rubble or in streets they cannot reach due to the scale of the bombardments.
One of the starkest indicators of the crisis is the growing number of starvation deaths. At least 376 people, including 134 children, have died from malnutrition and related causes since the start of the conflict.
Three more Palestinians died of starvation on Friday, underscoring the severity of famine conditions. United Nations assessments have confirmed famine in northern Gaza and warn that it will spread further south before the end of September unless access to food is restored.
Since March 2, Israel has completely sealed all border crossings, cutting off humanitarian supplies and pushing the population of 2.4 million deeper into catastrophe.
Daily toll of violence
Attacks continued across Gaza on Friday and Saturday. More than 50 Palestinians were killed in Gaza City in a single day, including at least seven children. Five people, including a child, were killed when a house in the Shati refugee camp was bombed, while five others died in another strike near al-Shuhada Square.
Israeli forces have also been demolishing residential blocks using explosive robots, leaving families homeless in what was already one of the most densely populated areas on earth.
Far-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir openly celebrated the destruction of Mushtaha Tower, one of Gaza City’s tallest buildings.
The tower had been sheltering displaced families forced from their homes by earlier bombardments. Ben-Gvir shared a video of the strike online, accompanied by nationalistic symbols and celebratory emojis.
The move was condemned by Palestinians as a grotesque display of disregard for civilian suffering. The situation is similarly dire in the occupied West Bank, where at least 1,034 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.
Of these, 210 were children, with 199 killed this year alone. Nearly 10,000 people have been wounded amid a surge in raids, arrests, and clashes.
International pressure mounts
Global concern is rising over the humanitarian catastrophe. The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has urged Israel to halt what he described as a catastrophe of starvation, noting that at least 370 Palestinians have already died from malnutrition.
Amnesty International has warned that the intensifying assault on Gaza City risks catastrophic and irreversible consequences for the population.
Diplomatic divisions are becoming more evident in Europe, where Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot declared that the European Union’s credibility on foreign policy is collapsing because of its failure to act over Israel’s war. Protesters are also taking to the streets.
Demonstrations are expected in London and Paris this weekend, where crowds will call for an end to the assault and demand accountability for Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Israel meanwhile faces mounting legal challenges. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The International Court of Justice is also examining a case brought against Israel for genocide in Gaza. These proceedings have intensified international scrutiny, although Israel has rejected the charges.
Negotiations in stalemate
In Washington, President Donald Trump announced that the United States is in very deep negotiations with Hamas. He urged the Palestinian group to release all Israeli captives and warned that things will get nasty if Hamas does not comply.
Trump stressed that his administration is pushing for a comprehensive agreement to end the war.
Hamas has repeatedly stated its willingness to accept a comprehensive deal, including a ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
Last month, mediators in Qatar said they were still awaiting Israel’s response to a framework agreement, but that the Israeli government appeared unwilling to engage seriously.
The stalemate has left thousands of families in limbo, uncertain whether loved ones will be freed or further escalation will follow.
Regional and military developments
Amid the fighting, the head of the US military’s Central Command, General Brad Cooper, travelled to Israel for the first time since assuming command. He met the Israeli chief of staff to discuss regional security and reaffirmed what he called the ironclad US commitment to Israel’s security.
The meeting highlighted the depth of military cooperation between the two countries at a time when the conflict is reshaping alliances and fuelling regional instability.
Inside Gaza, however, conditions remain bleak. Civilians are running out of safe places to shelter, hospitals are overwhelmed, and food supplies are critically low. Thousands continue to risk their lives in search of humanitarian aid, with more than 2,300 killed by Israeli fire while waiting for assistance since May.
The collapse of the January ceasefire and prisoner exchange has deepened despair, as renewed bombardments since March have killed nearly 12,000 more Palestinians and wounded close to 50,000.
The war has now entered its 700th day. For Palestinians trapped inside the enclave, survival has become a daily struggle against bombardment, hunger, and displacement. For the international community, the question remains whether pressure will mount strongly enough to stop what many human rights organisations are already calling a genocide.
