Gaza City residents were trapped in their homes, and bodies lay uncollected in the streets amid a fierce Israeli assault on Thursday. This attack occurred as Washington pushed for a peace agreement in Egypt and Qatar.
Hamas militants warned that the intense Israeli offensive could derail efforts to end the war, just as negotiations were nearing a conclusion.
Gaza City, home to a significant portion of Gaza’s population before the war, had been destroyed in the initial weeks of fighting last year. Despite the devastation, many Palestinians had returned, only to be ordered out again by the Israeli military.
The Gaza health ministry reported people trapped and others killed in the Tel Al Hawa and Sabra districts, with rescuers unable to reach them. The Civil Emergency Service estimated at least 30 deaths in Tel Al-Hawa and Rimal areas, with bodies still in the streets.
Despite Israeli army instructions to use “safe routes” to evacuate south, many residents refused, using the hashtag “We are not leaving” on social media. Mohammad Ali, 30, said his family, struggling with food, water, and medicine shortages, was prepared to stay and face martyrdom.
Continued Fighting in Rafah
The conflict began last year when Hamas militants crossed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages. Since then, over 38,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to local medical authorities.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office reported that Israeli forces had withdrawn from the Shejaia suburb after a two-week invasion that left dozens dead and residential areas destroyed.
In Rafah, near the Egyptian border, Israeli tanks continued operations, with houses being demolished amid fighting with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other factions. Palestinian health officials reported four deaths, including a child, from an Israeli airstrike in Tel Al-Sultan.
Despite Hamas concessions last week, agreeing to a truce without Israel first ending the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists any deal must allow Israel to continue fighting until all objectives are met.
Negotiations, led by Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S., are ongoing. A Palestinian official close to the mediation said a meeting would be held to review responses from Israel, though details were not provided.