GAZA CITY, Palestine: The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on Saturday warned that Israel’s intensified assault on Gaza City is forcing massive new waves of displacement, leaving civilians with “no safe place” in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
UNRWA said 86 percent of Gaza now falls under militarised zones or forced evacuation orders. “Palestinians need a ceasefire before it is too late,” the agency said in a statement.
Entire neighbourhoods in Gaza City and Jabalya are being emptied.
More than 86% of #Gaza is under displacement orders or militarised zones.
Families are fleeing with nowhere safe to go.
The siege must be lifted.#CeasefireNow pic.twitter.com/V8JZyUaaVC
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) September 13, 2025
Mounting Death Toll and Famine
Gaza’s health ministry reported that at least 41 Palestinians, including seven people seeking aid, were killed in Israeli strikes since dawn on Saturday. Of these, 29 were killed in Gaza City.
The ministry said 64,803 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 2023, with 47 bodies brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours. The total number of people injured has risen to 164,264.
Starvation is compounding the crisis. Seven more people, including two children, died of malnutrition in the last 24 hours, taking the famine-linked death toll to 420, including 145 children.
The Palestinian enclave has been under a complete Israeli blockade since March 2, closing all border crossings.
The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed famine in northern Gaza in mid-August and warned it could spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.
Aid Seekers Targeted
According to the health ministry, five Palestinians were killed and over 26 injured while attempting to collect humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours.
That brings the total number killed while seeking aid to 2,484 since late May, with more than 18,117 wounded.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemned what he called Israel’s “blatant disregard for the protected status of humanitarian workers, facilities, and operations under international law,” blaming deliberate restrictions on aid and the destruction of infrastructure for the unfolding famine.
“I have never encountered such blatant disregard for the protected status of humanitarian workers, facilities, and operations under international law,” says @UNLazzarini, as quoted in @CNN investigates.
The famine in #Gaza is the result of deliberate restrictions on aid,… pic.twitter.com/j3q45SZxa6
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) September 13, 2025
Widespread Destruction
Gaza’s Government Media Office said Israeli forces have caused the “complete destruction” of more than 1,600 multi-storey residential towers and buildings, severe damage to over 2,000 others, and the destruction of more than 13,000 tents housing displaced families.
Since the start of September alone, Israeli forces have destroyed 70 residential towers and more than 3,500 tents, the office said.
Intensified Israeli Offensive
The Israeli army said it is “increasing the pace” of operations in Gaza City and ordered civilians to flee south towards Al-Mawasi or central refugee camps.
Military spokesperson Colonel Avichay Adraee claimed that more than 250,000 residents have already fled the city, he stated in a post on X.
#عاجل 🔴 يا سكان غزة، وفق التقديرات في جيش الدفاع انتقل أكثر من ربع مليون من السكان والمقيمين في مدينة غزة الى خارج المدينة حفاظًا على سلامتهم.
⭕️أحثكم، من أجل سلامتكم انتهزوا شارع الرشيد وانتقلوا فورًا إلى المنطقة الانسانية في المواصي والى المناطق الخالية في مخيمات الوسطى مثلما… pic.twitter.com/1HasRrtyol
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) September 13, 2025
However, Al Jazeera reported that many residents remain in Gaza City or have returned because Israel’s designated evacuation zones are “overcrowded, under-resourced, and lack proper water access.”
Palestinian officials accused Israel of seeking to empty Gaza City, saying 1.2 million people remain despite bombardment.
They warned the campaign aimed to push up to 1.7 million Palestinians into Al-Mawasi and Rafah, which lack hospitals and basic infrastructure.
Israel’s current ground offensive, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots 2”, began on 3 September with the stated goal of fully occupying Gaza City.
