Thousands Of Palestinians Flee As Israeli Troops Press Forward Into Gaza City
Israeli troops and tanks were pushing deeper into Gaza City on Wednesday, the second day of a ground offensive that was widely condemned internationally, as Palestinians fled the devastated area en masse.
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Jerusalem:
On Wednesday, Israeli forces advanced deeper into Gaza City during the second day of a ground offensive that has drawn widespread international condemnation, causing mass evacuation of Palestinians from the area.
According to Israel's military, air and artillery units conducted over 150 strikes on the city in recent days, preceding the ground troops' advance. These strikes have demolished high-rise buildings in areas where thousands of displaced Palestinians are sheltering in tent encampments. Israel asserts that Hamas uses these towers for surveillance of Israeli troops.
Hospital officials reported that overnight bombardments killed at least 16 people, including women and children. Health officials in Gaza state that the Palestinian death toll has approached 65,000 since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Concurrently, Palestinians were evacuating Gaza City—some in vehicles, others on foot. Israel established another evacuation corridor south of Gaza City for a two-day period starting Wednesday to facilitate additional evacuations.
More than half of the Palestinians killed in overnight Israeli strikes were in Gaza City, which is experiencing famine conditions. Among the casualties were a child and his mother who perished in their apartment in the Shati refugee camp, according to Shifa Hospital officials who received the victims.
Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza reported that an Israeli strike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed three people, including a pregnant woman. Officials from Nasser Hospital confirmed that two parents and their child were killed when a strike hit their tent in the Muwasi area west of Khan Younis.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported multiple Israeli strikes on Rantisi Hospital for children in Gaza City on Tuesday night. They shared images on Facebook showing damage to the roof, water tanks, and debris scattered in hospital corridors.
According to the ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, the strikes forced approximately 40 patients to flee. About 40 patients remained, including four children in intensive care and eight premature infants, along with 30 medical staff.
The Israeli military stated they were investigating reports of the hospital strikes. In previous instances, Israel has accused Hamas of establishing military infrastructure within civilian zones.
Colonel Avichay Adraee, the military's Arabic-language spokesperson, announced on social media that a new evacuation route would be open for southbound travel for two days starting at noon Wednesday.
Many Palestinians in northern Gaza have been disconnected from communication networks. The Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, based in the West Bank, reported that Israeli strikes on main network infrastructure in northern Gaza had disrupted internet and telephone services Wednesday morning. The Associated Press was unable to contact numerous individuals in Gaza City.
Before evacuation warnings preceding the offensive, approximately one million Palestinians resided in the Gaza City region. The Israeli military estimates 350,000 people have departed, while the UN reports more than 238,000 Palestinians have fled northern Gaza in the past month. Hundreds of thousands remain.
On Wednesday, a coalition of prominent aid organizations urged stronger international action to halt Israel's Gaza City offensive. This followed a UN expert commission's finding that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza—an allegation Israel denies.
"What we are witnessing in Gaza is not only an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, but what the UN Commission of Inquiry has now concluded is a genocide," stated the aid groups. "States must use every available political, economic, and legal tool at their disposal to intervene. Rhetoric and half measures are not enough. This moment demands decisive action."
The statement was endorsed by leaders of over 20 aid organizations working in Gaza, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Anera, and Save the Children.
Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement Wednesday condemning "in the strongest terms" Israel's ground offensive in Gaza. On X, the ministry characterized the operation as an "extension of the war of genocide" against Palestinians.
Qatar's reaction follows its anger over an Israeli strike last week that killed five Hamas members and a local security official.
An Israeli military graphic suggested their forces aim to control the entire Gaza Strip except for a substantial coastal area by the conclusion of the current operation.
Throughout the war, Israeli forces have conducted multiple large-scale incursions into Gaza City, causing extensive displacement and destruction, only to see militants regroup later. Israel has now pledged to take complete control of the city, which experts confirm is experiencing famine.
An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously in accordance with military protocols, stated Tuesday that they believe 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas militants remain in Gaza City, along with tunnels used by the group. Hamas' military capabilities have been significantly reduced, now primarily conducting guerrilla-style attacks where small fighter groups plant explosives or attack military outposts before retreating.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, the war has killed more than 64,900 Palestinians. The ministry, staffed by medical professionals, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but notes that women and children constitute approximately half of the casualties. The UN and many independent experts consider these figures to be reliable estimates.
The Gaza conflict began when Hamas-led militants invaded southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people, predominantly civilians, and abducting 251 others. Of the 48 hostages still in Gaza, fewer than half are believed to be alive.