GAZA: More than 100 Palestinians were killed in renewed Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, as the Israeli army pushed deeper into Gaza City in what it described as a new phase of its ground offensive.
Medical officials said the dead included civilians attempting to flee along the coastal al-Rashid Street, while entire families remain trapped in the city under relentless fire. Nearly one million people, many displaced from elsewhere in the enclave, are sheltering in Gaza City with no guarantee of safety further south.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported the destruction of at least 17 residential buildings and the Aybaki Mosque in the Tuffah neighbourhood. Witnesses described convoys of vans, donkey carts, and families on foot fleeing through streets engulfed in smoke and flames.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared on X that “Gaza is burning.” Rights groups accused Israel of using explosive-laden robots to clear densely populated areas, a tactic that has flattened entire blocks.
Since October 2023, nearly 65,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—have been killed in the war, according to Gaza health authorities.
The assault has triggered yet another wave of mass displacement. Israeli officials estimate 350,000 people have fled Gaza City, while the enclave’s Government Media Office says many have been pushed westward and to central districts, with nearly 190,000 leaving the city altogether.
Those who escape face grim conditions in the south. The overcrowded al-Mawasi camp — already home to families displaced from Rafah and Khan Younis — has been repeatedly bombed. Some 15,000 people have reportedly returned to Gaza City, unable to endure the harsh reality of life in makeshift shelters.
Meanwhile, Israeli aerial footage shows tanks advancing into Gaza City. The military admitted it expects the battle to last “several months”, vowing to press ahead regardless of civilian suffering. Medical sources reported at least 106 Palestinians killed across the enclave since dawn on Tuesday.
UN Commission Labels War Genocide
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday issued its most damning verdict yet, concluding that Israel’s war in Gaza constitutes genocide. After nearly two years of conflict that has killed at least 64,964 people, the commission cited repeated Israeli statements to establish the “specific intent” to destroy Palestinians as a people.
Palestine’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the findings, warning of a looming humanitarian catastrophe. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel’s actions as “morally, politically and legally intolerable”, reiterating his call for an immediate end to the destruction.
The report has added fuel to mounting international criticism. Irish President Michael D Higgins accused Israel of committing genocide and urged sanctions, including suspension of trade ties and even Israel’s expulsion from the United Nations.
Growing International Outrage
France’s Foreign Ministry sharply rebuked Israel’s expanded offensive, calling the campaign “destructive” and lacking “any military logic”. Paris demanded an end to the bombardment and the urgent, unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
In Brussels, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned the ground assault would “make an already desperate situation even worse”, predicting more death, destruction and displacement. She said the European Commission will present new measures to pressure Israel to halt its offensive.
Amid escalating global outcry, the Israeli government insists its campaign will continue until Gaza City is under its control — a process its own military admits could take months, at staggering human cost.
