Israeli attacks have killed more than 50 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, medical sources have told Al Jazeera, as the Israeli military continues its offensive to conquer Gaza City.
Among the 53 reported killed in Gaza, 38 died in Gaza City, where famine is taking place. The Israeli military continued to destroy major high-rise buildings in Gaza City on Wednesday as its plans for the city involve razing every building to the ground.
The IDF repeated its call for all civilian residents of the city to flee to the al-Mawasi tent camp in southern Gaza, which is already overcrowded and has continued to come under Israeli attack despite its designation as a so-called “humanitarian zone.”
“Residents of Gaza City, since yesterday, tens of thousands of you have responded to the and calls of the Defense Army and are heading at this hour as well toward the humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi via Al-Rashid Street, in order to ensure their safety and the safety of their loved ones,” IDF Arabic language spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that included a video of fleeing Palestinians.
“The images speak for themselves – join them now. For your safety, seize this opportunity to protect yourselves and your family members,” he added. Before it began the offensive, the Israeli military estimated that 1.2 million civilians would need to be forcibly displaced.
On top of the violent deaths in Gaza on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said that it recorded five more starvation deaths, including one child, due to the Israeli siege. “This brings the total number of deaths due to malnutrition to 404, including 141 children,” the ministry wrote on Telegram.
The ministry said in its daily death toll update, which it releases about midday Gaza time, that Israeli forces killed at least 39 Palestinians and injured 184 over the previous 24 hours. It said that its death toll since October 7, 2023, has reached 64,656 martyrs, and the number of wounded has climbed to 163,503. Studies have found that the ministry’s numbers are likely a significant undercount.
