Thousands Flee Gaza City as Israeli Troops Push into Densely Populated Area

Thousands of Palestinians were reported fleeing Gaza City on Wednesday after Israel said it had begun a major ground offensive aimed at occupying what it called Hamas’s last stronghold. Large-scale overnight bombardment and reports that a children’s hospital had been struck drove many families to join long, slow convoys southward.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said al-Rantisi children’s hospital was hit in three separate attacks, forcing roughly half of its patients and their families to flee. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. The military said it had struck more than 150 "terror targets" across Gaza City in two days and that its aim was to defeat up to 3,000 Hamas fighters and free hostages taken in the 7 October attack on Israel.

The offensive has produced crowded lines of people trying to move south by donkey cart, rickshaw, private vehicle and on foot, many carrying heavy loads of belongings. Until recently, civilians had been forced to flee down a single coastal road to an Israel-designated "humanitarian area" in al-Mawasi. On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces announced it would open a second evacuation route down the central Salah al-Din road for 48 hours beginning at 12:00 local time (10:00 BST).

Humanitarian organizations and U.N. agencies have repeatedly warned that the humanitarian area designated by Israel is overcrowded and cannot absorb the large numbers expected to move there. Aid groups said some Palestinians who followed evacuation orders found no space for tents and returned north. The heads of more than 20 aid agencies called on world leaders for urgent intervention, saying "the inhumanity of the situation in Gaza is unconscionable."

The flight from Gaza City has been costly for many. Some displaced families said they had to sell possessions to afford transport and shelter. Lina al-Maghrebi, 32, a mother of three from the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, told the BBC she sold jewelry to cover the cost of displacement and a tent. "It took us 10 hours to reach Khan Younis, and we paid 3,500 shekels for the ride. The line of cars and trucks seemed endless," she said. Reports from Gaza said renting a small truck costs about 3,000 shekels (roughly $900) and a tent for five people around 4,000 shekels.

The scale of displacement is disputed. The IDF said around 350,000 people had fled Gaza City, while the United Nations put the number at 190,000 since August. U.N. and independent estimates suggest at least 650,000 people remain in the city. Humanitarian agencies say many of those who flee face acute shortages of food, water and shelter; a U.N.-backed food security body has declared famine in Gaza City, and officials warned that an intensification of the offensive could push civilians "into even deeper catastrophe."

Among the military tactics reported in Israeli media is the use of older military vehicles loaded with explosives, controlled remotely and driven to Hamas positions before being detonated. The Israeli military did not immediately confirm operational details beyond saying it was carrying out strikes on militant targets.

The ground offensive and bombardment have drawn sharp international criticism. U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk called the operation "totally and utterly unacceptable," and U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as "utterly reckless and appalling." In a joint public appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio expressed qualified support for Israel’s right to pursue militants while saying the United States preferred a negotiated end to the conflict.

A separate international inquiry has intensified pressure on Israel. A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded this month that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, finding that Israeli security forces perpetrated sexual and gender-based violence, deliberately targeted children, and carried out a "systemic and widespread attack" on religious, cultural and education sites. Israel’s foreign ministry said it "categorically rejected" the report, calling its findings "distorted and false."

The offensive also coincided with renewed public pressure in Israel from families of captives taken by Hamas on 7 October. About 251 people were taken hostage during the attack that killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel. Relatives of the 48 remaining hostages — of whom Israeli authorities believe 20 are alive — protested near Prime Minister Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, warning that heavy strikes in Gaza could endanger those still held captive. "All day long, you boast about killing and destruction," said Macabit Mayer, aunt of hostages Gali and Ziv Berman. "Bringing down buildings in Gaza — who are you bringing these buildings down on?"

Gaza’s health ministry says at least 64,964 people have been killed by Israeli operations since the war began in October 2023, with nearly half of the victims women and children. The fighting has damaged and overwhelmed health and civilian infrastructure, complicating aid delivery and evacuation efforts. Aid groups, U.N. agencies and medical personnel say that shortages of fuel, clean water, medical supplies and shelter are placing civilians, especially children, at growing risk.

Israel launched its campaign in response to the 7 October attack by Hamas. Israeli officials say the operation aims to eliminate Hamas’s military capacity and recover hostages. Palestinian and international officials say the offensive has exacted a heavy toll on civilians and civilian infrastructure. As ground assaults continue in Gaza City and diplomatic pressure mounts, humanitarian agencies are calling for immediate measures to protect civilians and expand access for aid deliveries.

The situation remains fluid, with new population movements, continued airstrikes and ground operations reported across northern Gaza. International responses are varied and polarized, with calls for restraint and increased humanitarian access amid continued military objectives articulated by Israeli authorities.