At least 53 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombardment and gunfire across the Gaza Strip since dawn, according to medical sources cited by Wafa news agency.
Hospital sources reported that five bodies were brought to Al-Shifa Hospital, five to Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, one to Al-Awda Hospital, 13 to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, and 29 to Nasser Hospital.
Israeli Defence Minister Katz says anyone who stays in Gaza City will be considered ‘terrorists and terror supporters’.
The Israeli government has issued an order for all Palestinians still in Gaza City to leave immediately.
Defence Minister Israel Katz warned it was their “last opportunity” to evacuate, adding that anyone who remained would be treated as a militant supporter and face the “full force” of Israel’s latest assault.
“This unthinkable is not looming – it is already here. The escalation is underway.
“The collapse of essential services is leaving the youngest and most vulnerable fighting for survival. Only 44 of the 92 UNICEF-supported outpatient nutrition treatment centers in Gaza City are still functioning, depleting thousands of malnourished children of more than half of the lifelines they depend on to fight famine.
“Malnutrition and famine are weakening children’s bodies as displacement strips them of shelter and care, and bombardments threaten their every move. This is what famine in a war zone looks like and it was everywhere I looked in Gaza City.
Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israel has issued its first formal evacuation notice to residents of a multi-story building in Gaza City ahead of an impending strike, warning that IDF operations there will only intensify until Hamas agrees to Israel’s terms to a ceasefire deal.
“The bolt is now being removed from the gates of Hell in Gaza,” he posts on X.
A resident of al-Saftawi neighbourhood, also in the north of the city, Matar and his wife were startled awake by what he described as a “frightening sound of movement“.
“We thought it was the sound of asbestos sheets being moved from place to place by a crane or a tuk-tuk. We couldn’t sleep out of fear.”
At around 4:45am, the couple realised the sound had come from a remotely controlled Israeli military robot.
The robots, which carry explosives, have been widely used by Israeli forces during the ongoing invasion of Gaza, often targeting civilian homes.
The “robots” described by Ismail are likely the Israeli army’s outdated M113 APC models, which have been retrofitted with explosives and remotely detonated near buildings throughout the war. Ismail told Mondoweiss that neither he nor his family had time to take anything from their home due to fears that the APC near them would be detonated.
“Before now, the army used to blow up one or two buildings with the robots. Now they destroy dozens of buildings at once. Robots and warplanes are working together to destroy every place in Gaza City,” he described.
The Israeli army has warned that implementing the government‘s orders to demolish all of Gaza City, both above and below ground, similar to operations carried out in Beit Hanoun and Rafah, could take many months, potentially more than a year.