We Escaped Certain Death’: Israel Intensifies Bombardment of Gaza City Amid Mounting Civilian Toll

By MyNewsGh | International Desk

Israeli forces have intensified their assault on Gaza City with a wave of heavy aerial bombardments, leaving entire neighborhoods in ruins and forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee. The escalation marks one of the deadliest phases of the nearly year-long conflict.

Unlike previous operations, the current offensive has relied heavily on sustained air strikes, flattening apartment blocks and concrete structures across the city.

Mass Displacement Under Fire

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that more than 250,000 residents had fled Gaza City southward in anticipation of a full-scale ground offensive. The military also claimed to have destroyed a high-rise building allegedly used to plan and coordinate attacks against its troops.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Gaza City as Hamas’s last major stronghold, pledging that Israeli forces will seize control. But international criticism is mounting, with the United Nations warning that escalating attacks in a territory already declared to be in famine risk pushing civilians into “an even deeper catastrophe.”

Gaza City, the territory’s largest urban center, has long been regarded as a political and cultural heart of Palestinian life.

Families Flee in Darkness

Residents describe desperate scenes of families abandoning their homes, often under the cover of night, to escape relentless bombardments.

“We escaped certain death, my husband, our three children and I,” said Saly Tafeesh, who fled westward after her brother was killed by what she described as an Israeli drone strike. “We ran in the dark. My brother died in my arms.”

Survivors say schools and makeshift shelters have been targeted, sometimes with little or no warning before strikes.

Hamas Urges Resistance as Evacuations Continue

While Israel has ordered civilians to move south, many families say they cannot afford the journey, which costs upwards of $1,100 (£800). Hamas preachers have urged residents to stay put, branding those who flee as cowards.

But some residents, such as Rubein Khaled, a father of nine preparing to move south, rejected that narrative. “Why doesn’t Hamas tell its leaders to surrender and release the hostages so this war can stop?” he asked. “We don’t want to leave either, but we have no choice.”

International Fallout Over Strike in Qatar

The crisis has taken on new diplomatic dimensions following Israel’s controversial strike in Doha, Qatar, which killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer. The group denies that any senior leaders were among the dead, but the attack has drawn strong condemnation.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, told the BBC that the world faces a “Netanyahu problem,” accusing the Israeli leader of ignoring international appeals for peace.

“He is not listening to any reason, and we have to collectively stop him in his tracks,” Al-Ansari said, warning that the strike showed Netanyahu never intended to sign a ceasefire deal.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, revealed that his government received no advance warning of the strike, learning of it only through a U.S. official 10 minutes after the assault began.

The move has also strained U.S. relations in the region, even as American officials reaffirm support for Israel. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to Israel in the coming days, ahead of a crucial UN Security Council session, where France and the UK are expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state.

Rising Death Toll Amid Famine

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reported on Sunday that 47 bodies had been recovered from Israeli strikes in the previous 24 hours. Since August 22, when UN-backed experts confirmed a famine in Gaza City, at least 142 people have died of starvation and malnutrition, according to the ministry.

Israel disputes these figures but acknowledges challenges in delivering aid. It says it is expanding efforts to facilitate humanitarian supplies while continuing to target Hamas operatives.

The conflict, now in its twelfth month, was triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.

According to Gaza health officials, at least 64,803 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since then, making it one of the most devastating conflicts in the region’s history.