Israeli forces unleashed heavy air and ground assaults on the outskirts of Gaza City overnight, destroying homes and displacing more families as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet prepared on Sunday to discuss a plan to seize the city, which Israel describes as Hamas’ final stronghold.
Local health authorities in Gaza said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 30 people on Sunday alone, including 13 civilians who were trying to collect food near an aid site in the central Gaza Strip and two others in a Gaza City home. At least 15 more, among them five children, died in an attack on a residential building on Saturday.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing the reports of civilian casualties. Regarding claims of an airstrike that killed two people, a spokesperson said there were not enough details to verify but insisted the military takes steps to minimise harm to noncombatants while targeting militants.
Escalating Offensive
Residents of Sheikh Radwan, one of Gaza City’s largest neighbourhoods, said the area had come under continuous tank shelling and airstrikes throughout the weekend, forcing families to flee toward the western parts of the city.
“They are crawling into the heart of the city where hundreds of thousands are sheltering, from the east, north, and south, while bombing those areas from the air and ground to scare people to leave,” said Rezik Salah, a father of two from Sheikh Radwan.
Israel has steadily escalated its operations around Gaza City over the past three weeks. On Friday, the military ended temporary pauses that had allowed aid deliveries, declaring the area a “dangerous combat zone.”
Netanyahu’s cabinet was scheduled to meet Sunday evening to deliberate the next phase of the operation. While a full-scale offensive is not expected for weeks, Israeli officials said they intend to push further into Gaza City only after more civilians are evacuated.
Hamas Spokesperson Killed
Netanyahu also confirmed on Sunday that Israeli forces had targeted Abu Ubaida, the longtime spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades. Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on social media platform X that Abu Ubaida was killed.
Known publicly as Hozayfa Al-Khalout, Abu Ubaida had been a key figure in Hamas for two decades, frequently delivering prerecorded statements while concealing his face with a red keffiyeh. He was closely linked to the group’s top military commanders and played a prominent role in shaping its messages to both Palestinians and Israelis.
In his final statement on Friday, he warned that Israel’s planned assault on Gaza City would endanger hostages still held in the enclave.
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