Gaza City faced its deadliest day in two years of conflict as Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday killed at least 91 people and forced thousands of Palestinians to leave their homes. Entire neighbourhoods were flattened as houses, high-rise buildings, and mosques collapsed under heavy bombardment. The United Nations chief condemned the attacks as “horrendous,” while residents described scenes of fire, smoke, and destruction.
Families packed what they could into vans, donkey carts, or simply carried their belongings on foot as they moved along al-Rashid Street in search of safety. Many who had vowed not to leave finally gave up, fearing they might never see their homes again. Some tried to head south, though there is no guarantee of safety anywhere in the besieged territory.
Health officials confirmed that among the dead were evacuees killed when an Israeli strike hit a vehicle on the coastal road. Seventeen residential buildings were destroyed, including the historic Aybaki Mosque in Gaza’s Tuffah neighbourhood. The Israeli military also used explosive-filled robots, each capable of demolishing several housing units at once. Rights group Euro-Med Monitor said at least 15 of these machines were already deployed.
Israeli tanks pushed deeper into Gaza City from the north, south, and east, leaving large sections of the city in ruins. More than 1 million people had returned to Gaza City after earlier displacement, but the renewed offensive has triggered another mass exodus. The Israeli army estimated that 350,000 residents had fled. Gaza’s Government Media Office reported that 350,000 people were newly displaced within the city itself, while another 190,000 had left entirely.
For those who escaped south, conditions remain grim. Camps like al-Mawasi are already overcrowded with displaced families from Rafah and Khan Younis, and they too have come under Israeli strikes. With no safe zones left, civilians continue to face impossible choices in the ongoing war.
