GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL

Israel on Friday declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” and unleashed one of its heaviest bombardments since the war began, striking by air, land and sea while nearly 1 million Palestinians remain trapped inside.

The offensive is part of an Israeli plan, approved earlier this month, to gradually reoccupy Gaza, starting with its largest urban center, home to roughly half the enclave’s population. 

Strikes pounded eastern neighborhoods, including Al-Zaytoun, Al-Shuja’iya and Al-Tuffah, where witnesses said homes were leveled by airstrikes and explosive-laden robots. 

Southern Al-Sabra and northern districts, such as Sheikh Radwan, Abu Iskandar and Safatawi, were also hit, while central Al-Jalaa Street came under heavy fire. Shells landed on Jabalia al-Nazla further north.

Israeli tanks and bulldozers pushed into Al-Zaytoun and the eastern flanks of Al-Shuja’iya and Al-Tuffah, flattening homes and infrastructure under the cover of shelling. Families fled westward, swelling overcrowded districts already crippled by shortages of food, medicine and water.  

Displacement pressure

Israeli drones ordered civilians to evacuate to the south, but many refused, pointing to relentless strikes there and the absence of shelter. 

The Gaza Government Media Office said moving south was “virtually impossible,” with shelters operating at more than 96% capacity and unable to absorb the 1.3 million people already displaced from Gaza City.  

UN warning

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) cautioned that the assault risked forcing up to 1 million people from their homes again.

“With famine already confirmed in the area, any further escalation would deepen suffering and push more people toward catastrophe,” it said.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative last week confirmed famine in Gaza City and warned it could spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by late September. 

War toll and accountability

Israel’s campaign, now in its 22nd month, has killed more than 63,000 Palestinians since October 2023. The war has reduced much of Gaza to rubble, driven its population into famine, and left swathes of the territory uninhabitable.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.