The Israeli military says it now controls about 40% of Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban center, as it prepares for a wider offensive nearly two years into the war with Hamas.
Despite international pressure, Israel has intensified strikes in the north, killing dozens Thursday. Officials expect hundreds of thousands more civilians to flee south, though many Gazans insist there is no safe refuge in the Strip.
The UN has warned of famine, while EU officials have condemned Israel’s actions, with Spain’s environment minister calling it “genocide” — a term Israel rejects.
Israel says its goal is to dismantle Hamas while minimizing civilian harm, blaming the group for using residents as human shields.
