Israel Hamas War Escalates in Gaza
Israel-Hamas Conflict Intensifies as Fighting Escalates in Gaza
GAZA CITY — The Israeli military said on Thursday it was continuing operations against Hamas, including in the southern areas of Rafah and Khan Yunis, as the conflict entered another deadly phase.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, issued a stark warning, vowing fierce resistance.
“We are ready to send the lives of your soldiers to hell,” the group said in a statement. “Gaza will be a cemetery for your soldiers.”
Later in the day, the Israeli army confirmed that four of its soldiers were killed in Rafah after being targeted with an explosive device.
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks and fighter jets intensified strikes on Gaza City, the focus of a major ground offensive. The bombardment forced thousands of Palestinians to flee southward in desperate conditions.
AFP journalists reported a constant stream of families making their way out of the city — some on foot, others crammed into vehicles or riding donkey carts piled high with belongings.
“There is artillery fire, air strikes, quadcopter, and drone gunfire. The bombing never stops,” said Aya Ahmed, 32, who is sheltering with 13 relatives. “They want us to evacuate south — but where will we live? There are no tents, no transport, no money.”
Palestinians said the cost of transport south has soared, in some cases exceeding $1,000.
“The situation is indescribable — crowds everywhere, explosions, women and men crying as they walked with their belongings,” said Shadi Jawad, 47. “God, send a missile to take us out and relieve us.”
The offensive has fueled international criticism, with Gaza already devastated by nearly two years of war and the UN declaring famine in Gaza City and surrounding areas.
The escalation also comes ahead of a planned push by several Western countries, including France and Britain, to formally recognize a Palestinian state later this month at the United Nations.
Visiting Britain, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had a “disagreement” with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the issue.
In New York, the United States once again vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire and humanitarian access to Gaza, shielding Israel from mounting diplomatic pressure.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said evacuation orders and military incursions were pushing traumatized families into conditions “unfit for human dignity.” He warned that hospitals were overwhelmed and on the brink of collapse as violence blocked aid deliveries.
Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital reported receiving 33 bodies of people killed in Israeli strikes since midnight.
The UN said at the end of August that roughly one million people were still living in Gaza City and nearby areas. Israel claims 350,000 have since fled.
According to Gaza’s health ministry — figures considered credible by the UN — at least 65,141 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the campaign began.
Israel has rejected a separate UN probe accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza, calling the findings “distorted and false.”
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