Israeli military steps up attacks in Gaza City as Palestinians continue to flee

The Israeli military bombed and destroyed the Al-Kawthar residential tower in western Gaza City on Sept. 14, in the latest attacks targeting high-rise buildings as the army expanded its offensive to occupy the city.

Witnesses said fighter jets struck the tower shortly after the army issued immediate evacuation orders for its residents and nearby tents.

The Israeli military said that more than 250,000 people fled Gaza City since it began intensifying operations there, as Palestinian officials reported many had been unable to evacuate south due to overcrowding.

The United Nations estimated in late August that about 1 million Palestinians lived in and around Gaza's largest urban center, where it said a famine was unfolding after months of worsening conditions.

On Sept. 13, the army’s Arabic-language army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X that "more than a quarter of a million residents of Gaza City have moved out of the city for their own safety.”

Gaza's civil defence agency, however, reported a much lower figure, saying fewer than 70,000 managed to leave.

Mohammad Abu Salmiya, head of the Al-Shifa medical complex, told AFP that displacement was continuing inside Gaza City, with residents moving from east to west, but "only a small number of people have been able to reach the south.”

"Even those who manage to flee south often find no place to stay, as the Al-Mawasi area is completely full and Deir al-Balah is also overcrowded," the senior official added, saying many had returned to Gaza City after failing to secure shelter or basic services.

Source:  hurriyetdailynews