Israeli forces push toward Gaza City's center as Hamas regroups for urban combat

Israeli forces have moved closer to the center of Gaza City, a development that officials say signals the next phase of a ground operation aimed at dismantling Hamas and rescuing hostages. The city has been described by Israel as the militants’ last major stronghold in Gaza, and the new push comes as Hamas fighters reportedly regroup across urban districts in anticipation of dense, protracted combat. Since Israel launched its ground offensive last week, thousands of Palestinians have fled the city, adding to a broader exodus that has stretched deep into southern Gaza.

Independent verification in the Hamas-dominated enclave has been difficult. The BBC verified footage showing an Israeli tank at Hamid Junction, about 1.5 kilometers (roughly 0.9 miles) from the central al-Shifa hospital. Armoured vehicles were also reported near the main United Nations compound in southern Gaza City, roughly 700 meters (about 2,297 feet) from the city center. A Hamas figure cited by the BBC claimed the group was ordering thousands of fighters to converge on Gaza City for what he described as a final, decisive battle, signaling a potential escalation in urban warfare. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had previously estimated that up to 3,000 Hamas fighters could be inside the city. The Hamas figure, which could not be independently verified by the BBC, claimed a larger force of about 5,000 and warned of suicide attacks, though such tactics have not been a consistent feature of the current conflict.

Journalists have been restricted from independent entry into Gaza since the start of the war nearly two years ago, complicating verification of claims from both sides. Some reporters have been allowed in under controlled access arranged by the IDF, but broader international press access remains constrained. In parallel with the fighting, Israel has sought to destroy tunnels it says militants use to stage surprise attacks, while Hamas has said some tunnels remain intact and that the group has learned from prior Israeli offensives aimed at decimating ground-based units. The previous military commander of Hamas, Mohammed Deif, before his death in an Israeli strike, had urged a shift toward guerrilla tactics and ambushes to blunt battlefield losses, a strategy that observers say could shape how battles unfold in dense urban areas.

Across Gaza City, residents report rapid, sometimes transient Israeli thrusts into neighborhoods followed by withdrawals within hours. The Israeli military has also employed small quadcopter drones equipped with loudspeakers to warn civilians to evacuate certain districts, a tactic that has spread panic and prompted mass movements of people toward the south. The use of such drones reflects broader efforts to manage civilian safety amid a campaign that has disrupted daily life for hundreds of thousands of residents.

Thousands of Palestinian families have continued to flee south along the coastal al-Rashid road, the only corridor currently permitted by the Israeli military for movement out of the area. The UN estimated on Tuesday that at least 321,000 people have fled south since mid-August, while the IDF put the figure at around 640,000. The exodus has become a costly and perilous journey: transport is scarce and expensive, with families reportedly paying more than $3,000 for conveyance, far beyond the means of many Gaza residents who have left behind belongings they could not carry on foot. Those who remain in Gaza City—numbers are not precisely known but are described as hundreds of thousands—continue to face the threat of bombardment, collapsing hospitals, and dwindling supplies of food, water, and medicine.

Humanitarian conditions have deteriorated in recent weeks. A UN-backed agency confirmed famine conditions in parts of Gaza in late August, underscoring the broader crisis as fighting intensifies and access to aid remains constrained. The conflict’s death toll has continued to rise since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and left 251 others hostage. In Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry has said that at least 65,419 people have been killed since the start of the current fighting, a count that international organizations say is difficult to verify independently and that changes daily as rescue and relief efforts continue.

The priority for Israel remains the destruction of Hamas’s military capabilities and the rescue of remaining hostages, including those believed to still be alive. Israeli officials say the goal is to eliminate terrorists and restore security for Israeli communities along the border, while humanitarian organizations warn that the civilian population faces ongoing risk as ground operations move through densely populated urban areas. The evolving battle for Gaza City is a focal point in a broader conflict that has endured for more than a year and has drawn widespread international concern over civilian harm and the prospects for a sustainable ceasefire.

As the city’s center becomes a potential flashpoint, observers say a prolonged urban fight could test the coordination between ground maneuvers and humanitarian corridors, with risks to civilians and to the delivery of aid increasing the pressure on regional and international actors to secure safe passage and prevent a deeper humanitarian catastrophe. The situation remains fluid, with competing claims about the scale of Hamas’s forces and the likelihood of new escalation in the days ahead.