Over 250,000 Flee Gaza City Amid Intensified Israeli Strikes

Displaced Palestinians walk past rubble after an Israeli strike in Gaza City, 13 September 2025.

The Israeli military reported on Saturday that more than 250,000 residents have left Gaza City in recent weeks as its offensive on the territory's largest urban centre intensified.

Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesman, said the evacuation is for residents’ own safety. The United Nations estimates around one million Palestinians live in and around Gaza City.

Access restrictions and ongoing strikes make independent verification difficult, but Gaza’s civil defence agency confirmed continued air raids.

On Saturday, the Israeli military dropped leaflets in western districts urging residents to evacuate immediately via Al-Rashid Street to the south of Wadi Gaza. The leaflets warned: “The Israeli army is operating with very intense force in your area and is determined to dismantle and defeat Hamas. For your safety, evacuate immediately. You have been warned.”

Israel says it is determined to dismantle Hamas strongholds, targeting high-rise buildings alleged to be used by militants. International organisations have warned that the assault could worsen the humanitarian crisis, which the UN has described as a famine in Gaza City.

The civil defence agency reported five deaths from Israeli strikes since dawn Saturday, following at least 50 fatalities across the territory on Friday.

Gaza City residents described the relentless attacks as unbearable. Umm Anas al-Ashqar said, “Every night we go to sleep not knowing if we will wake up alive. The bombing never stops. We stayed in our house because we have nowhere else to go… This is not life. Death would be easier than this.”