Raphael Kanu
Palestinians are fleeing parts of Gaza City after the Israeli military announced it had begun the first stages of a ground offensive, despite mounting international pressure for a ceasefire.
Israeli troops said they had secured positions on the city’s outskirts following days of heavy airstrikes and artillery fire. Defence Minister Israel Katz approved the operation earlier this week, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “shorten timelines” in the push to capture what he called Hamas’s “last strongholds.”
Residents in the Zeitoun and Sabra districts reported relentless bombardments overnight. “The house shakes with us all night long — the sound of explosions, warplanes, and cries for help is killing us,” Gaza resident Ahmad al-Shanti told AFP.
Hamas condemned the assault, accusing Israel of “continuing a brutal war against civilians” and ignoring a new ceasefire proposal from regional mediators. The group said it had accepted a plan for a 60-day truce and the release of half of the hostages, but Israel has not formally responded.
The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, warned that the offensive would bring “inevitable death and destruction,” while the Red Cross cautioned that further displacement of civilians risked an “irreversible humanitarian crisis.”
Israeli military officials said two brigades were already operating in Zeitoun and Jabalia, targeting tunnels and weapons caches. They added that they were taking steps to avoid endangering the 50 hostages still believed to be held in Gaza, though families of those captives expressed fear for their safety.
At least 25 people, including three children, were killed in strikes on Wednesday, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 62,000 people have been killed since Israel’s campaign began in October 2023, after Hamas’s cross-border assault that left 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage.
International criticism of Israel’s plan is growing, with French President Emmanuel Macron warning it “can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into permanent war.”
Israel has called up 60,000 reservists to support the offensive, while hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City are expected to face new evacuation orders in the coming days.