SRINAGAR: Thousands of Palestinians fled Gaza City on Thursday as Israeli forces advanced into central districts with intensified shelling and ground operations, according to local officials and eyewitness accounts reported by Al Jazeera.
Residents said entire neighbourhoods had been emptied, with families carrying what belongings they could as they moved south in search of safety. “People are leaving with whatever they can carry, moving towards the south in search of safety,” one resident told reporters.
The Gaza Health Ministry as per BBC report said the escalation had worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, leaving hospitals overwhelmed by casualties. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed mass displacement, warning of a “catastrophic situation” as food, water and medical supplies ran dangerously low.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) stated its troops were targeting Hamas “terror infrastructure” in Gaza City, claiming progress in ground operations. It said civilians had been urged to evacuate affected areas.
International agencies have renewed calls for a ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors. Israel has said its offensive aims to dismantle what it describes as Hamas’s “last stronghold” and to free hostages, estimating up to 3,000 Hamas fighters remain in Gaza City.
The operation has drawn widespread international condemnation amid fears for civilian safety. The UN estimates that more than 238,000 people out of the one million believed to live in Gaza City have fled northern districts in the past month, while hundreds of thousands remain trapped.
