Israel intensifies assault on Gaza City as Netanyahu orders evacuation ahead of ground operation

Israel escalated its military campaign in Gaza on September 9, with heavy bombardment targeting high-rise buildings across Gaza City.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a nationally broadcast statement, warned residents to leave northern Gaza immediately, describing the bombardment as the beginning of a broader ground maneuver.

His warning came as explosions shook the city and families scrambled to flee, many on foot, with limited access to transportation or safe shelter.

At least 21 people were killed during the strikes on Sep 9, among them civilians who had gathered in areas where aid was being distributed.

The mounting toll has deepened fears of a large-scale offensive against one of the most densely populated areas in the world. The evacuation order, confirmed by the Israeli military, directed nearly one million residents of Gaza City to flee southward ahead of what officials have called a decisive operation against Hamas.

The ongoing conflict has already inflicted massive human loss. Reports indicate that more than 64,600 people have been killed and over 163,000 injured in Gaza since October 2023, when the latest escalation began.

Recent bombardment added to this staggering toll, and humanitarian groups warn the evacuation order could displace hundreds of thousands more people who lack food, water, and safe passage.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated sharply. Aid agencies and international organizations have raised alarms that essential supplies remain blocked or delayed, worsening already dire shortages.

According to United Nations assessments, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face catastrophic food insecurity, and at least 367 people, including 131 children, have died from malnutrition as of early September.

ActionAid and other aid groups have warned that the planned assault on Gaza City will endanger “countless civilians,” including children, pregnant women, and the elderly, many of whom are already surviving in makeshift shelters.

International reactions have focused on both the scale of Israel’s planned military campaign and the worsening humanitarian crisis. Negotiations mediated by Qatar in Doha, which link a ceasefire to the release of hostages, remain stalled.

The United States has continued to back Israel’s right to target Hamas, while simultaneously urging the protection of civilians. Netanyahu, however, has framed the assault as a “final warning” to Hamas, characterizing the upcoming ground maneuver as necessary to dismantle its command centers.

The intensified strikes and evacuation order mark one of the most significant escalations in the nearly two-year conflict, raising fears of mass casualties in the days ahead.

With entire neighborhoods already reduced to rubble, residents described having nowhere left to run. For many families in Gaza City, the warning to leave came too late, as bombardments rained down on the streets they were trying to escape through.