Israeli forces launched intense strikes on Gaza City on Wednesday ahead of a planned takeover, killing 123 people in the past 24 hours, according to the Gaza health ministry.
This marks the deadliest day in a week and adds to the heavy toll of the nearly two-year conflict that has devastated the enclave’s population of more than two million.
An Israeli official told i24NEWS that civilians would be allowed to leave, urging countries concerned about Palestinian welfare to “open their gates and stop lecturing us.”
The comments came amid widespread condemnation from Arab and global leaders, who warned that mass displacement of Gaza’s residents could mirror the 1948 “Nakba,” when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled during the Arab-Israeli war.
Officials say Israel’s re-occupation of Gaza City—briefly held at the start of the war—is likely weeks away, leaving a window for a possible ceasefire despite faltering negotiations.
Residents reported heavy overnight air and tank bombardments in the Zeitoun and Shejaia neighborhoods, with Al-Ahli hospital confirming 12 deaths in a single airstrike in Zeitoun.
In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, tanks destroyed multiple homes, while in central Gaza, Israeli gunfire killed nine civilians seeking aid, Palestinian medics said. The Israeli military has not commented on these reports.
The health ministry also said eight people, including three children, died from starvation and malnutrition in the past day, raising the war’s total to 235 deaths from hunger-related causes, including 106 children. Israel disputes these figures.
In Cairo, Hamas chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya met Egyptian officials to discuss halting the conflict, improving aid delivery, and alleviating Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
Egyptian sources said talks included a proposal for a comprehensive ceasefire under which Hamas would relinquish control of Gaza and disarm.
A Hamas official told Reuters the group was open to “all ideas” if Israel ends the war and withdraws, but ruled out surrendering weapons before the occupation ends.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reported plan to expand military control in Gaza—potentially beginning in October—has intensified international concern over the growing destruction, displacement, and hunger in the territory.
