Gaza City, September 18, 2025 – The streets of Gaza City, the largest urban center in the Gaza Strip, have become a battleground as Israeli tanks, warplanes, and drones unleashed a relentless barrage of airstrikes and artillery fire, killing at least 25 Palestinians since dawn on Thursday, according to medical sources. The escalating violence has triggered a mass exodus of civilians, with thousands fleeing the city under harrowing conditions. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts struggle to keep pace with the destruction, and Gaza’s already strained medical infrastructure teeters on the brink of collapse.
A City Under Siege
The Israeli military’s intensified operations in Gaza City have transformed the densely populated urban hub into a scene of chaos and devastation. According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, at least 19 of the 25 fatalities reported on Thursday occurred in Gaza City alone, where tanks and fighter jets have pummeled residential neighborhoods, schools, and critical infrastructure. The bombardment, which began in the early hours, has shown no signs of abating, with survivors describing a relentless cacophony of explosions, gunfire, and drone strikes.
Aya Ahmed, a 32-year-old mother of three sheltering with 13 relatives in a cramped apartment in Gaza City’s Al-Rimal neighborhood, recounted the terror of the ongoing assault. “There is artillery fire, airstrikes, quadcopter and drone gunfire. The bombing never stops,” she said, her voice trembling as she spoke to reporters over a faltering phone line. “We don’t know where to go. The streets are blocked, and the smoke is so thick you can barely see the sky.”
The Israeli military has deployed tanks in strategic areas considered gateways to Gaza City’s center, including the Netzarim Corridor and the Salahuddin Road, effectively cutting off key routes for civilians attempting to flee. Eyewitnesses reported seeing columns of tanks and armored vehicles advancing through the city’s outskirts, accompanied by heavy aerial bombardment. Residents described a sense of entrapment, with Israeli forces tightening their grip on the city and leaving few safe havens for civilians.
Mass Displacement and Humanitarian Crisis
The intensification of the bombardment has sparked a desperate exodus from Gaza City. Long lines of displaced Palestinians were seen fleeing south on foot, in overcrowded vehicles, or on donkey carts laden with whatever belongings they could salvage. Mattresses, clothing, and cooking pots were piled high as families navigated debris-strewn streets, their faces etched with fear and exhaustion. Thick plumes of black smoke rose over the city, a grim backdrop to the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) estimates that tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced in the past 48 hours alone, adding to the more than 1.9 million people—nearly 90% of Gaza’s population—already uprooted since the onset of the conflict in October 2023. Many of those fleeing Gaza City are heading toward overcrowded shelters in southern Gaza, where conditions are dire due to shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies.
Gaza’s health ministry reported that four more Palestinians, including a child, died of starvation on Thursday, bringing the total number of starvation-related deaths to 435 since the war began. Of these, 147 were children, highlighting the catastrophic impact of Israel’s blockade on the delivery of humanitarian aid. The ministry warned that the combination of relentless bombardment and restricted access to food and medicine is pushing Gaza’s population toward famine.
“The situation is beyond catastrophic,” said Dr. Mahmoud Shalabi, a surgeon at Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, which has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli forces. “We’re running out of everything—bandages, anesthetics, even clean water. Patients are dying on the floors because we can’t treat them in time.”
Escalation of Violence
The latest wave of violence follows a particularly deadly day on Wednesday, when Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that more than 60 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire across the territory. The agency’s spokesperson, Mahmoud Bassal, described the situation as “one of the bloodiest days in recent weeks,” with entire families wiped out in airstrikes on residential buildings. Among the casualties were women, children, and elderly residents, many of whom were sheltering in what they believed were safe areas.
The Israeli military has justified its operations in Gaza City as a response to alleged militant activity, claiming that Hamas and other armed groups are using civilian infrastructure as cover. However, human rights organizations and international observers have repeatedly accused Israel of disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks that violate international humanitarian law. The targeting of schools, hospitals, and densely populated neighborhoods has drawn particular condemnation, with critics arguing that such actions amount to collective punishment of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
In August 2025, Israel’s war cabinet approved a military blueprint to occupy Gaza City and further tighten its control over the blockaded territory. The plan, which includes the establishment of permanent military outposts and buffer zones, has raised fears of a prolonged Israeli presence in Gaza, reminiscent of the occupation of the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly declared his intention to “take control” of the entire Palestinian territory, a statement that has fueled accusations of annexation and ethnic cleansing.
International Condemnation and Allegations of Genocide
The war, which began in October 2023 following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, has drawn unprecedented international scrutiny. A recent United Nations investigation concluded that Israel is committing “genocide” in the Gaza Strip, citing systematic violations of international law and the deliberate targeting of civilians. The report specifically named Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials, accusing them of inciting genocidal acts through inflammatory rhetoric and policies aimed at dehumanizing Palestinians.
“Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal threshold for genocide,” said Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories. “The scale of destruction, the targeting of civilian infrastructure, and the denial of basic necessities like food and water indicate a clear intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinian population.”
Since the onset of the conflict, Gaza’s health ministry reports that 65,141 Palestinians have been killed and 165,697 wounded, with women and children comprising the majority of casualties. These figures, which are likely conservative due to the difficulty of documenting deaths amid the chaos, reflect the staggering human cost of the war. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, and critical infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and water treatment plants, has been systematically destroyed.
The international community’s response has been mixed. While some Western governments, including the United States, have continued to provide military and diplomatic support to Israel, others have called for an immediate ceasefire and the lifting of the blockade to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza’s population. Protests demanding an end to the violence have erupted in cities across the globe, from London to New York, with demonstrators condemning what they describe as Israel’s “war of genocide.”
Communication Blackout and Infrastructure Damage
Adding to the crisis, internet and phone lines across Gaza have been cut off since Wednesday, following Israeli strikes on key communication infrastructure. The blackout has severely hampered rescue efforts, as emergency responders struggle to coordinate with hospitals and civil defense teams. Families separated by the violence have been left in agonizing uncertainty, unable to contact loved ones or verify their safety.
“The loss of communication is devastating,” said Nour Abu Sultan, a volunteer with a local aid organization. “People are trapped under rubble, and we can’t reach them. Families are fleeing, but they don’t know where it’s safe to go. It’s like we’re cut off from the world.”
The targeting of infrastructure has been a hallmark of Israel’s campaign in Gaza. Power plants, water pipelines, and sewage systems have been repeatedly struck, leaving much of the territory without electricity or clean water. The United Nations has warned that the destruction of civilian infrastructure is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation, with diseases like cholera and hepatitis spreading rapidly due to unsanitary conditions.
Historical Context and Regional Implications
The current offensive in Gaza City is part of a broader conflict rooted in decades of Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, began in 1967 following the Six-Day War. Since then, Gaza has been subjected to a crippling blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt, which has restricted the movement of goods and people and stifled the territory’s economy.
The blockade, combined with repeated military incursions, has left Gaza’s population in a state of perpetual crisis. Unemployment rates hover around 50%, and more than 60% of residents rely on humanitarian aid to survive. The destruction of homes, schools, and businesses has further eroded the social fabric of Gaza, leaving young people with little hope for the future.
The escalation in Gaza City has also raised concerns about regional instability. Neighboring countries, including Egypt and Jordan, have expressed alarm at the prospect of a prolonged Israeli occupation of Gaza, which could further destabilize the Middle East. Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group allied with Hamas, has vowed to intensify its attacks on Israeli targets along the Israel-Lebanon border, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
Calls for Accountability and a Path Forward
As the death toll mounts and the humanitarian crisis deepens, calls for accountability are growing louder. Human rights organizations have urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to expedite its investigation into alleged war crimes committed by both Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has indicated that the court is actively examining evidence of atrocities in Gaza, though no arrests have been made.
Meanwhile, grassroots movements and civil society organizations are pressing for a global response to the crisis. Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns targeting Israel have gained traction, with activists calling for economic and political pressure to end the occupation and blockade. Humanitarian organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières and the International Committee of the Red Cross, have called for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted access to deliver aid.
For the people of Gaza City, however, the immediate priority is survival. As Israeli tanks rumble through the streets and warplanes roar overhead, families like Aya Ahmed’s are left with nowhere to turn. “We just want to live,” she said, clutching her youngest child as the sound of explosions echoed in the distance. “We want the world to see what’s happening here and do something to stop it.”
The international community now faces a critical test: whether it can muster the political will to address the root causes of the conflict and bring an end to the cycle of violence that has devastated Gaza for generations. As the war enters its third year, the stakes could not be higher—not only for the people of Gaza but for the future of peace and stability in the region.
