Israel Intensifies Gaza City Offensive Amid Post-War Talks

The Israeli military intensified operations around Gaza City on Wednesday as US-led discussions focused on post-war plans for the devastated Palestinian territory.

Israel faces mounting pressure domestically and internationally to end its nearly two-year campaign in Gaza, where the United Nations has declared a famine.

Mediators circulated a truce proposal accepted by Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack triggered the war. Israel has yet to provide an official response.

On the ground, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported at least 38 deaths on Wednesday from Israeli strikes and gunfire, including 16 in Gaza City.

The Israeli military, preparing to capture Gaza City, said troops were operating on the outskirts “to locate and dismantle terror infrastructure sites.” Its Arabic-language spokesman stated the evacuation of Gaza City was “inevitable.”

Most of Gaza’s two million residents have been displaced at least once during the war. In Jabalia, north of Gaza City, resident Hamad al-Karawi fled after a drone broadcast ordered immediate evacuation.

“Some neighbours have fled… But wherever you flee, death follows you,” said resident Tala al-Khatib.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair attended a meeting at the White House to discuss post-war Gaza, alongside Jared Kushner and other US officials. Details of the plan remain limited.

The UN recently declared a famine in Gaza, citing “systematic obstruction” of humanitarian deliveries. Israel has disputed the report, calling it “fabricated,” but a joint statement from 14 Security Council members affirmed its validity.

Aid agencies warn that children are suffering most severely. “Clinics are almost silent,” said Save the Children’s Inger Ashing. “Children do not have the strength to speak or cry out in agony.”

Out of 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s 2023 attack, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 reported dead by the Israeli military. Negotiations for their release continue alongside plans to seize Gaza City.

Since the start of the war, at least 62,895 Palestinians have died, most of them civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The Hamas attack that triggered the conflict killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians.