On September 20, 2025, Gaza City faced intense Israeli military attacks, killing at least 38 people since dawn, according to Al Jazeera’s correspondent Hani Mahmoud, who reported from the enclave. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) expanded their ground offensive, codenamed Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, targeting what they claim is Hamas’s last stronghold in northern Gaza. Homes were struck without prior warning, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in a region already grappling with famine and mass displacement.
Casualties and Key Incidents
Among the victims were:
- Majed Abu Salmiya, brother of Al-Shifa Hospital Director Muhammad Abu Salmiya, along with several relatives, including children, killed in a targeted strike.
- Two girls in Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, killed in an airstrike on a residential area.
- Two children in a school-turned-shelter, highlighting attacks on civilian infrastructure.
- A woman in the Sabra neighbourhood, near the besieged Zeitoun area, as Israeli tanks advanced.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported 33 deaths and 146 injuries across the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, with four additional deaths from malnutrition, including one child, bringing the total hunger-related deaths to 440 since October 2023.
Escalating Offensive and Displacement
The Israeli military intensified its bombardment and ground operations, targeting neighborhoods like Sheikh Radwan, Tel Al-Hawa, and Sabra with airstrikes, tank fire, and naval shelling. The IDF estimates 480,000 Palestinians have fled south since late August, with around 600,000 remaining in Gaza City. Displaced residents, like Toufic Abu Mouawad, described a “tragic situation” with relentless shelling, leaving many unable to flee due to high transport costs or fear of attacks en route. Evacuation orders and leaflets instructed residents to use Salah al Din road to move south, but many reported no safe areas, with strikes hitting central and southern Gaza as well.
Hani Mahmoud noted that the lack of prior warnings for strikes has heightened panic, with entire apartment blocks reduced to rubble. The offensive has destroyed much of Gaza City’s infrastructure, with 25 of 38 hospitals out of service and medical staff overwhelmed. A recent UNICEF aid theft, where gunmen seized food supplies for 2,700 malnourished children, further worsened the crisis.
Humanitarian Crisis and International Response
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in Gaza City on August 22, 2025, with 641,000 people facing catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5). The UN and Gaza Health Ministry have accused Israel of engineering starvation as part of a broader campaign, with over 65,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023, nearly half women and children. A UN commission’s report on September 16 labeled Israel’s actions as genocide, citing targeted attacks on civilians and infrastructure, though Israel rejected the findings as “distorted.”
Hamas, which triggered the war with its October 7, 2023, attack killing 1,195 Israelis, has called for residents to resist evacuation, accusing Israel of violating a January 2025 ceasefire. Families of the remaining 20 Israeli hostages protested in Israel, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prioritize negotiations over military escalation. European powers, including the UK, condemned the offensive as “reckless,” while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered tacit support, calling Hamas “savages.”
Why It Matters
The relentless attacks, with no safe zones and restricted aid, have pushed Gaza City to the brink, with famine, displacement, and civilian deaths escalating. The international community faces growing pressure to broker a sustainable ceasefire, as the war, now in its 23rd month, continues to devastate Gaza’s 2.3 million population, 80% of whom are displaced.
