50 Killed as Israel Intensifies Strikes on Gaza City

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At least 50 people were killed in Gaza on Friday as Israeli forces intensified attacks on Gaza City, according to the territory’s civil defence agency.

Israel has said it aims to seize Gaza’s largest urban centre, describing it as one of the last strongholds of Hamas, whose October 2023 assault triggered the ongoing war.

The United Nations and international leaders have warned that an escalation will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza City, where famine has been declared.

Britain, France and Germany jointly called for an “immediate” halt to the offensive, citing mounting civilian casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure.

Civil defence officials reported that 35 people were killed in Gaza City on Friday, with another 15 deaths elsewhere in the territory.

The Israeli military confirmed it was continuing wide-scale strikes on “terrorist infrastructure and high-rise structures” in Gaza City, and announced plans to “intensify the pace of targeted strikes” as part of preparations for the next phase of the operation.

One strike in the northwest of Gaza City killed 14 people, most of them women and children, witnesses said. Bodies were taken to Al-Shifa hospital, where mourners prayed over shrouded victims.

Although the army has urged civilians to evacuate, many residents say they have nowhere safe to go, as southern areas have also come under repeated attack. The UN estimates about one million people were in and around Gaza City as of late August, warning that mass displacement could bring disastrous consequences.

The army said measures were being taken to expand humanitarian aid to the south in preparation for receiving displaced residents.

Meanwhile, the main group representing families of hostages held in Gaza criticised the offensive, warning it placed captives at greater risk without any clear strategy.

Of the 251 hostages taken during the Hamas assault, 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 confirmed dead. The October attack killed 1,219 people in Israel, mostly civilians.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has since killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry cited by the UN.