Israeli forces kill 28 in Gaza, including aid seekers

Israeli forces kill at least 28 people across Gaza since dawn on Thursday, in one of the deadliest escalations this week. Medical sources confirmed that the victims included 16 killed in Gaza City and four others who died while seeking humanitarian aid. The attacks highlight the intensifying military campaign, which continues to devastate civilian areas and displace thousands.

According to hospital officials, Israeli forces carried out multiple strikes across Gaza City overnight and into the morning. At least nine people, including four children, were killed in the latest wave of bombardment. Witnesses described the destruction as relentless, with bulldozers razing buildings and entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.

Residents reported that Israeli troops marked several zones for evacuation, signaling imminent demolitions. Locals said those who fail to evacuate risk being buried under collapsed homes. The intensification of attacks has fueled fears of a full-scale invasion of Gaza City.

Symbolic value of Gaza City

A senior Israeli military representative told a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that capturing Gaza City would not necessarily weaken Hamas’s control. Instead, the officer admitted the city held “symbolic significance,” rather than a guarantee of breaking Hamas’s resistance.

This acknowledgment has raised questions about the strategic objectives behind the massive offensive, which has already left thousands displaced and infrastructure destroyed. Despite the destruction, many Palestinians say they have nowhere safe to flee.

Aid seekers among the dead

Among the victims were at least four Palestinians who had gathered to receive humanitarian aid. Eyewitnesses said they were caught in Israeli fire as they queued in desperate search of food and supplies.

The killing of aid seekers underscores the worsening humanitarian crisis across Gaza, where shortages of food, water, and medicine are pushing civilians to the brink of famine. International aid groups have warned that conditions are deteriorating rapidly, yet access remains severely restricted.

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Voices from inside Gaza

Mohammed al-Kurdi, a project manager sheltering in Gaza City, told the Associated Press that his building shakes constantly from the bombings. “The house keeps dancing all day. It goes right and left like an earthquake,” he said.

Al-Kurdi explained that Israeli forces mark neighborhoods with red paint, signaling residents to evacuate before the areas are leveled. “It’s like you decide whether to live or die. It’s very simple like that,” he added.

Amal Seyam, director of the Women’s Affairs Centre in Gaza, shared her ordeal of being displaced five times since the war began. “Do you know what displacement means? It means moving once again, building your life once again, buying new things, blankets, tents, all over again,” she said.

Mass displacement continues

With bulldozers flattening residential areas and bombardments destroying homes, thousands of families are forced to leave Gaza City. Many believe departing now could mean never returning, as entire districts are wiped out.

Aid groups warn that repeated displacements are deepening trauma, especially among children. International calls for ceasefire and humanitarian access have intensified, but attacks show no sign of slowing down.

Rising toll

Medical sources reported that since dawn alone, at least 28 Palestinians have been killed, with the majority in Gaza City. Hospitals, already overwhelmed by casualties, continue to struggle with shortages of medical supplies and electricity.

The rising toll adds to the thousands of deaths recorded since the start of the war, with civilians bearing the heaviest burden. Despite international appeals, Israeli operations show no indication of easing, leaving Gaza’s population in a state of despair and uncertainty.

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