The death toll from Israeli attacks across Gaza has risen to 29 since dawn on September 18, 2025, according to medical sources cited by Al Jazeera. Of these, at least 19 fatalities occurred in Gaza City, where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have intensified a major ground assault to capture the urban center, described as Hamas’s remaining stronghold in northern Gaza.
The strikes targeted various locations, including residential areas and suspected militant sites, as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots II. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported the casualties amid heavy bombardment and advancing troops in neighborhoods like Zeitoun and Shuja’iyya. Rescue teams continue to pull survivors from rubble, with fears of more trapped individuals.
This escalation follows evacuation orders for Gaza City residents and vows from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz to press on “with an iron fist” until Hamas is defeated and hostages released. The offensive has displaced thousands more, worsening famine-like conditions in southern shelters.
The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, has now claimed over 64,000 Palestinian lives, per Gaza authorities, with 90% of the population displaced. A recent UN inquiry accused Israel of genocide, implicating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
