The Israeli military said on Thursday that its forces already control 40% of Gaza City as it continues its heavy bombardment and ground offensive in the city, where famine is taking place, according to UN and US-backed hunger monitors.
While the IDF has been building up its plans for a major offensive on Gaza City, its forces have been on the offensive since about August 10. The first part of the offensive primarily targeted the Zeitoun neighborhood, which was reduced to ruins within just a few weeks.
Israel’s offensive has expanded to other neighborhoods, and there have been reports of the IDF using tanks, explosive-laden armored vehicles, and grenades dropped from drones to destroy homes and tents. Middle East Eye reported on Thursday that Dr. Muneer Alboursh, director general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, said that at least 1,100 Palestinians have been killed and 6,000 wounded over the past 20 days.
The Israeli military’s plans involve forcibly displacing 1 million Palestinians from Gaza City, and it estimates that about 70,000 residents have fled so far. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the IDF expects 200,000 civilians to remain in the city despite the threat to their lives. The report also said that the IDF has been firing artillery into “unpopulated areas” to pressure civilians to leave.
Palestinians are hesitant to leave for a number of reasons, including the fact that many are malnourished and may not be able to survive another forced displacement. Palestinians also don’t believe they’ll ever be able to return once they leave, since Israeli officials have made clear that their ultimate goal is the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. The IDF’s plans also involve razing the entire city to the ground once it’s fully captured.
