DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A recent series of airstrikes in Gaza City has resulted in the deaths of at least 32 individuals, including 12 children, as reported by medical staff on Saturday. These airstrikes come amid Israel's intensified offensive in the region, with Shifa Hospital serving as the primary location for the casualties.
The Israeli military has ramped up its strikes across Gaza City, targeting multiple high-rise buildings which it accuses Hamas of using to store surveillance equipment. The Israeli government has ordered a mass evacuation of residents, claiming the city is the last stronghold of Hamas. Hundreds of thousands continue to inhabit this densely populated urban area, where conditions are dire, and many are facing famine.
One particularly devastating strike occurred in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, resulting in the deaths of a family of ten, including a mother and her three children. Eyewitnesses described the strikes followed by clouds of smoke rising above the buildings. While the Israeli army did not provide an immediate response to inquiries regarding these strikes, the urgency to evacuate the city has prompted a significant number of residents to attempt to flee in recent weeks, according to aid workers.
However, many families find themselves unable to relocate due to the prohibitive costs of transportation and shelter, while others have experienced multiple displacements, leading to a lack of trust in the safety of other areas within Gaza. The Israeli army has urged remaining Palestinians in Gaza City to leave "immediately" and head south towards what is referred to as a humanitarian zone. According to Army spokesman Avichay Adraee, over 250,000 people have evacuated Gaza City out of an estimated one million residents.
In contrast, the United Nations reported that only over 100,000 people had managed to leave between mid-August and mid-September. The U.N. and various humanitarian organizations have raised alarms about the worsening humanitarian crisis resulting from large-scale displacement, noting that shelters in southern Gaza are overcrowded. Financial burdens also exacerbate the situation, with costs exceeding $1,000 for transportation and relocation.
An initiative led by the U.N. has encountered restrictions, with more than 86,000 tents and necessary supplies still awaiting entry clearance into Gaza as of the previous week. The bombardments across Gaza City were particularly intense on the night of Friday, September 12, following a recent Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders based in Qatar, indicating a broader escalation in the conflict that threatens ongoing efforts to negotiate a resolution.
Families of hostages still in Gaza have expressed their desperation, urging the Israeli government to halt military operations, fearing for the safety of their loved ones. Currently, there are 48 hostages believed to be held in Gaza, with around 20 individuals thought to still be alive.
This ongoing conflict escalated after Hamas-led militants infiltrated southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the abduction of 251 individuals and the deaths of around 1,200, primarily civilians. In retaliation, Israel's offensive in Gaza has reportedly claimed over 64,700 Palestinian lives, with the local health ministry indicating that approximately half of those fatalities were women and children. The scale of destruction in major urban areas is alarming, with about 90% of the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza now displaced.
