The Israeli military said on Wednesday it was opening an additional route for 48 hours that Palestinians could use to leave Gaza City as it stepped up efforts to empty the area of civilians and confront thousands of Hamas troops.
Hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in the city and many are reluctant to follow Israel's orders to move south because, they say, the dangers along the way, the dire conditions, a lack of food in the southern area, and fear of permanent displacement.
"Even if we want to leave Gaza City, is there any guarantee we would be able to come back? Will the war ever end? That's why I prefer to die here, in Sabra, my neighbourhood," Ahmed, a school teacher, said by phone.
At least 30 people were killed across the Strip on Wednesday in Israel's latest strikes, including 19 in Gaza City, local health authorities said.
A day after Israel announced the launch of a ground offensive to seize control of the main urban centre, tanks had moved short distances towards the city's central and western areas from three directions, but no major advance was reported.
An Israeli official said military operations were focused on getting civilians to head south and that fighting would intensify over the next month or two.
The official said Israel expected around 100,000 civilians to remain in the city, which would take months to capture, and the operation could be suspended if a ceasefire was reached with the Hamas militant group.
The prospects of a ceasefire appear remote after Israel attacked Hamas' political leaders in Doha last week, infuriating Qatar, a co-mediator in ceasefire talks.
Despite global criticism of the attack, include criticism from an ally U.S., Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will strike Hamas "wherever they are."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his Doha visit said there was "a very short window of time" in which a ceasefire could happen, potentially referring to Israel's statements about stopping Hamas by force.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic response continues to evolve within the European Union. On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed suspending free-trade arrangements for Israeli goods due to the war. However, the measure currently lacks sufficient support among bloc members to pass.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas also proposed a package of sanctions targeting two Israeli ministers, violent settlers, and Hamas members.
It's reported that Netanyahu has said these EU sanctions "won't have much effect."
Khamenei's successor to be announced as Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join ...
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to expect further strikes on Saturday (7 March). In a post on social media, he said Iran would be '...
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on Iran on Saturday (7 March), while the Uni...
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, inc...
Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport came under attack in heavy airstrikes on early Saturday morning (7 March), Iranian ne...
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to expect further strikes on Saturday (7 March). In a post on social media, he said Iran would be 'hit very hard'. His comments came a week into the conflict with Iran, which has spread across the Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on Iran on Saturday (7 March), while the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia continued to shoot down missiles in their airspace. Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would stop attacking its neighbours.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, including two children. Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekov, said 10 residents died after a Russian ballistic missile hit a five storey apartment block in the city.
Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport came under attack in heavy airstrikes on early Saturday morning (7 March), Iranian news agencies reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to expect further strikes on Saturday (7 March). In a post on social media, he said Iran would be 'hit very hard'. His comments came a week into the conflict with Iran, which has spread across the Middle East.
The Azerbaijani State Security Service has said it has stopped Iran committing terror attacks against four targets in the country: Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan, a leader of the Mountain Jews religious community and the "Ashkenazi" synagogue.
The Israeli military says it has destroyed an underground bunker beneath Iran’s leadership complex in Tehran that it claims was built for former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Key humanitarian air, sea and land routes are being constricted by disruption from the war in the Middle East, delaying life-saving shipments to some of the world's worst crises, 10 aid officials have told Reuters.
Some changes are immediately visible: new turbines on the steppe, solar panels on rooftops, and figures in reports. Other changes mature in silence - but transform everything. Azerbaijan, for decades associated with black gold, is now writing a new chapter.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, including two children. Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekov, said 10 residents died after a Russian ballistic missile hit a five storey apartment block in the city.
A 35-year-old former rapper is on track to become Nepal’s next prime minister. Early counting in the elections on Friday (7 March) showed Balendra Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was leading in around 100 seats, far ahead of rivals.
Newly released FBI records summarising interviews with an unidentified woman contain allegations that U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to force her to perform a sexual act when she was a teenager, according to documents published by the U.S. Justice Department.
Australia’s move to ban social media access for children under 16 has intensified a global debate, as governments around the world weigh tougher rules amid growing concerns over mental health, safety and screen addiction.
Indonesia will restrict access to social media platforms for children under 16, its communications and digital ministry said on Friday (6 March), becoming the latest country to introduce online guardrails aimed at reducing the risks of addiction and cyberbullying.
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