The Israeli military warned it will use “unprecedented force” in Gaza City and urged residents to move south. On Friday, it announced the closure of Salah al-Din Road, a key evacuation route opened just 48 hours earlier. The army told civilians to use Al-Rashid street, the only remaining path south, and to join the hundreds of thousands who have already fled.
Israel’s ground assault on Gaza City, backed by the United States, began Tuesday. The offensive follows nearly two years of war that has left the city in ruins and created a UN-declared famine. A UN investigation this week accused Israel of committing genocide, a charge Israel rejected as “distorted and false.”
Palestinians describe constant shelling and fear. “Our life has become nothing but explosions and danger,” said Sami Baroud, 35. Others say they cannot afford to leave. Umm Mohammed Al-Hattab, 49, remains in a tent with her seven children after losing her home.
The war began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,219 people. Israel’s response has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials.
