Israeli forces have intensified their ground offensive in Gaza City, carrying out heavy air and artillery strikes that have destroyed residential blocks, hit a children’s hospital, and forced mass displacement.

The UN says Israel is committing genocide, while the Palestinian death toll has reached 65,000.

Hundreds of thousands have fled south, though many remain trapped due to hunger, cost, or fear that the south is equally unsafe.

Israeli officials doubt the offensive can eliminate Hamas, with an estimated 2,000–3,000 fighters still in the city, The Guardian has reported.

Critics argue the campaign is driven more by political motives—such as prolonging war and pressuring Palestinians to leave—than by military necessity.