Israeli forces escalated their assault on Gaza City on Tuesday, killing at least 36 Palestinians in a wave of air and ground strikes that left entire neighbourhoods in ruins. The bombardment coincided with world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly demanding an end to the war that has now stretched into its second year.
Satellite images revealed Israeli forces encircling Gaza City, with tanks advancing into the Nassr neighbourhood, barely a kilometre from al-Shifa Hospital. Reports confirmed that artillery shelling and drone strikes forced thousands of families to flee southwards, even as heavy bombardment followed them. Civilians trapped under collapsed buildings have repeatedly appealed for rescue, but blocked roads and constant shelling make access nearly impossible.
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Hospitals and clinics, already overwhelmed, have become direct targets of shelling. Israeli fire destroyed Gaza City’s main medical centre, injuring staff and cutting off treatment for cancer patients, the wounded, and blood donors. Other health facilities in Tal al-Hawa and Shati refugee camp were besieged or destroyed. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has warned that hospitals are entering a critical phase, with fuel shortages and deliberate obstruction of supplies threatening lives across the enclave.
Despite designating al-Mawasi in southern Gaza as a “safe zone,” Israel has bombed the area repeatedly, forcing overcrowded camps to endure severe shortages of water, food, and medicine. Doctors at Nasser Medical Complex reported children dying of malnutrition and Palestinians being shot near supposed safe areas. UN experts have accused Israel of deliberately using starvation and displacement as weapons of war, warning of famine spreading across the territory.
Red more : Israel intensifies Gaza bombardment, 16 dead
Meanwhile, violence in the occupied West Bank has intensified alongside the Gaza offensive. Armed settlers killed a Palestinian man near Ramallah, while Israeli forces raided several towns, tightened settlement control, and shut down the King Hussein Bridge linking the West Bank to Jordan. A UN report described these measures as part of a systematic plan to cement permanent Israeli dominance, combining displacement, denial of return, and annexation efforts.
Global leaders voiced alarm at the UNGA, with calls for an immediate ceasefire growing louder. However, Israel has threatened to accelerate settlement expansion in the West Bank, even as accusations mount from UN commissions that its military campaign and policies meet the legal definition of genocide.