The Israeli military on Saturday urged Palestinians in Gaza City to flee south as its forces pressed deeper into the territory's largest urban centre, warning that operations were underway across the city.
For weeks, Israeli troops have advanced through the northern suburbs after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the capture of Gaza City, which he calls a Hamas stronghold. He has said seizing the city is vital to defeating the Islamist group behind the October 2023 attack.
The assault threatens to uproot hundreds of thousands of civilians still sheltering there. Before the conflict, Gaza City was home to about one million people, nearly half of the strip’s population.
Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X that residents should head to a designated coastal zone near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where he said they would find food, medical care and shelter.
Israel says it now controls almost half of Gaza City and around 75% of the territory overall. But many of those still in the city were displaced earlier in the war, only to return, and some say they refuse to leave again.
Netanyahu’s order to storm the city came despite reservations from Israel’s top generals, officials said.
Tens of thousands of reservists have since been called up to support the campaign, which has seen weeks of heavy strikes and fighting within a few kilometres of the city centre.
The war has left Israel increasingly isolated abroad, with close allies condemning the devastation in Gaza. Inside Israel, families of hostages and their supporters are pushing for a diplomatic deal to end the conflict in exchange for the release of the remaining 48 captives. Officials believe 20 are still alive.
Netanyahu is demanding an all-or-nothing agreement in which all hostages would be freed at once and Hamas would surrender. Hamas has countered with offers to release some captives under temporary ceasefire deals, as was discussed in July before U.S. and Arab-mediated talks collapsed.
The group, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades but now controls only parts of it, has said it would release all hostages if Israel ends the war and withdraws its forces. Most of those freed so far were released under international mediation.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that military operations would intensify until Hamas accepts Israel’s terms: releasing the hostages and disarming.
“Otherwise, the group will be destroyed,” he said.
U.S. intelligence sources indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin still intends to take control of all of Ukraine and reclaim parts of Europe t...
AnewZ has premiered The Oligarch’s Design, a long-form investigative documentary marking the launch of AnewZ Investigations, the channel’s new edi...
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip....
The United States says it is working to secure a renewed ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, expressing cautious optimism that an agreement could...
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s official visit to Tokyo represents more than a strengthening of bilateral relations; it is a strategic step tha...
U.S. intelligence sources indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin still intends to take control of all of Ukraine and reclaim parts of Europe that once belonged to the Soviet Union. These assessments contradict Putin’s repeated claims that he poses no threat to Europe.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s official visit to Tokyo represents more than a strengthening of bilateral relations; it is a strategic step that broadens the economic and diplomatic horizons of the region.
The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand have told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that they are willing to pursue a ceasefire, as tensions flared along parts of the two countries’ shared border.
Ukraine has welcomed the European Union’s decision to provide €90 billion in support over the next two years, calling it a vital lifeline even as the bloc failed to reach agreement on using frozen Russian assets to finance the aid.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that attempts to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine are being undermined by Russia’s continued refusal to engage meaningfully in negotiations.
A rare pair of bright-green Nike “Grinch” sneakers worn and signed by the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant have gone on public display in Beverly Hills, ahead of an auction that could set a new record for sports memorabilia.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil at the latter’s request.
Petroleum products are being transported by rail from Azerbaijan to Armenia for the first time in decades. The move is hailed as a tangible breakthrough in efforts to normalise relations between the long-time rivals.
U.S. intelligence sources indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin still intends to take control of all of Ukraine and reclaim parts of Europe that once belonged to the Soviet Union. These assessments contradict Putin’s repeated claims that he poses no threat to Europe.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
The United States says it is working to secure a renewed ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, expressing cautious optimism that an agreement could be reached early next week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.
Iran has called for greater international support in hosting millions of Afghan refugees, warning that it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage the long-term humanitarian burden without a fair sharing of responsibilities.
Ukraine has carried out its first aerial drone strike on a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, reflecting a growing intensity in Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil shipping, officials said on Friday (19 December).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment