Israel has escalated its offensive in Gaza City with a barrage of airstrikes that killed at least 32 people, including 12 children, according to medical staff. The strikes, which destroyed multiple high-rise buildings, are part of Israel’s push to take control of Gaza’s largest city, which it claims is Hamas’s last major stronghold. The military has accused Hamas of using residential towers for surveillance, justifying the attacks, though thousands of civilians remain trapped under worsening humanitarian conditions.
One of the deadliest strikes hit the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, where a family of 10, including a mother and her three children, was killed. The Palestinian Football Association confirmed that Al-Helal Sporting Club player Mohammed Ramez Sultan died along with 14 of his relatives in the bombings. Images from the scene showed plumes of smoke rising after the bombardment. Israel’s army has not immediately commented on the incident.
As strikes intensify, Israel has ordered Palestinians to evacuate Gaza City and move south into what it calls a humanitarian zone. The army says over 250,000 people have already fled, though UN figures estimate around 100,000 have left in the last month. Aid groups warn that the relocation is worsening the humanitarian crisis, as southern Gaza is overcrowded, shelters are scarce, and many families cannot afford transportation. UN supplies, including more than 86,000 tents, remain blocked from entering the enclave.
Meanwhile, tensions are growing inside Israel. Families of hostages held by Hamas rallied in Tel Aviv, demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secure their release. Relatives accused the government of sabotaging negotiations, particularly after Israel’s recent attempt to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar. They fear that continued military escalation could endanger their loved ones, with 48 hostages still in Gaza, about 20 believed to be alive.
The war, now in its eleventh month, has killed more than 64,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, nearly half of them women and children. Seven more people, including children, died in the past 24 hours from malnutrition-related causes, raising the total starvation toll to 420 since the conflict began. The war erupted on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel and abducted 251. In response, Israel launched a massive campaign that has devastated Gaza, displacing nearly 90% of its 2 million residents and flattening much of its urban landscape.
