Israel has begun a large-scale ground assault on Gaza City, backed by heavy airstrikes overnight. Columns of tanks and troops pushed into the city’s outskirts as explosions lit up the skyline.
The escalation has triggered another wave of displacement. Families piled onto donkey carts, rickshaws, and vehicles stacked high with belongings, while many others walked along the coastal road in search of safety. Israel estimates more than 350,000 people have already fled, but over half a million remain trapped in the city.
For many, leaving is not an option. Some say they cannot afford the journey south, while others point out that strikes continue even in areas marked as “humanitarian zones.” A mother of three described selling her jewelry just to afford a tent and the cost of travel, while another resident recalled trying to calm his disabled brother through a night of deafening bombardments.
Gaza’s health ministry reported dozens killed and hundreds wounded within 24 hours, alongside deaths linked to famine and malnutrition. Entire neighborhoods lie in ruins, adding to the devastation from earlier stages of the war.
Israel says the operation is aimed at dismantling Hamas’s last major stronghold in Gaza City, claiming thousands of fighters remain. But international condemnation is growing, with rights groups and world leaders warning of mass civilian suffering and accusing Israel of committing atrocities.
With famine already declared in Gaza, aid agencies warn that a deeper catastrophe is unfolding as the fighting intensifies and civilians are left with nowhere safe to go.