GAZA CITY, Palestine: Israeli air and ground strikes killed more than 45 Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, as the Israeli government warned tens of thousands of civilians still in Gaza City to leave immediately or face intensified attacks.
Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X on Wednesday that anyone who stayed would be considered “terrorists and terror supporters”.
The ongoing bombardment of Gaza City has devastated the region’s largest urban centre, killing dozens each day, destroying residential buildings and schools, and displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians who are being forced to flee south — often into further danger.
Al Jazeera reported that the Israeli military was ordering civilians to evacuate, only to pursue them along the coastal route with helicopters, drones, and tanks.
Among those Palestinians killed on Thursday in the southern Gaza Strip, 13 were those attempting to access desperately needed humanitarian aid. These deaths bring the total number of people killed while seeking food amid the Israeli-imposed famine to nearly 2,600, with close to 19,000 others wounded.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the overall death toll from Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza has reached 66,225, with at least 168,938 people injured since October 7, 2023.
Since Israel unilaterally ended the ceasefire in March, 13,357 Palestinians have been killed and 56,897 injured, as the humanitarian crisis continues to deepen.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Wednesday that it had temporarily suspended operations in Gaza City, just as the NGO Doctors Without Borders (known by its French acronym, MSF) did last week.
“The ICRC will continue to strive to provide support to civilians in Gaza City, whenever circumstances allow, from our offices in Deir el-Balah and Rafah, which remain fully operational,” it said in a statement.
In the meantime, Hamas continues to deliberate over US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan to end Israel’s two-year war.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have said that 223 activists were detained aboard the international aid flotilla. The Global Sumud Flotilla on X said that 15 boats were confirmed to have been attacked by the Israeli forces since late Wednesday, as eight others are likely to be or currently under attack.
The flotilla shared on the US social media company Instagram the names and nationalities of 223 activists aboard the attacked vessels.
The official flotilla tracker showed that 20 vessels have been attacked by the Israeli forces, as 24 others continue their way to Gaza.
