Israel intensifies Gaza City attacks as UN warns of 'horrific' consequences for displaced families

Israeli forces stepped up strikes on the outskirts of Gaza City on Wednesday as the military accelerated preparations for a ground offensive, residents and officials said, while the United Nations and aid groups warned the operations were having "horrific humanitarian consequences" for families displaced inside the city.

Hospitals in Gaza reported that more than 30 Palestinians were killed in Wednesday's strikes, saying women and children were among the dead and that most casualties occurred in the northern and western parts of the city. Gaza City, home to about one million people, was declared to be facing famine last month and is already hosting large numbers of internally displaced people.

Israeli military officials said they were intensifying operations to prepare for a ground push aimed at "conquering" Gaza City and targeting what the military described as Hamas's "centres of gravity." The Israeli chief of staff was quoted as saying the armed forces would "continue striking Hamas's centres of gravity until it is defeated" and hostages held by the group are freed.

The United Nations and humanitarian organizations cautioned that additional large-scale military action in densely populated urban areas would further imperil civilians already forced to shelter in overcrowded facilities. Aid groups said access to food, clean water and medical care remained extremely limited in many parts of Gaza City and warned of catastrophic consequences if supply lines and humanitarian corridors were not secured.

A photograph circulated by outlets showed a three-year-old boy being held by his grandmother after an Israeli strike that reportedly killed his parents and two sisters, underscoring the toll on families. Hospitals and local health officials have repeatedly warned of overwhelmed facilities and dwindling supplies as casualties mount.

Israeli protesters staged what they called a "day of disruption" in several cities to press the government for an immediate agreement to end the war in return for the release of all 48 Israeli and foreign hostages. Political pressure at home complicates Israeli decision-making as the military balances demands to secure the hostages with the conduct of wider operations in Gaza.

Humanitarian agencies said many displaced families had moved into northern and western districts of Gaza City in recent weeks after earlier waves of displacement from other parts of the territory. The United Nations said those concentrations of people—many of whom lack adequate shelter, sanitation and medical services—face particularly dire risks from intensified aerial and ground operations.

International calls for restraint and greater protection for civilians have continued as fighting around Gaza City intensified. Diplomats and aid officials have urged the establishment of safe passages and sustained humanitarian access but said efforts to deliver sufficient assistance had been hampered by the scale of destruction and security concerns.

The escalation in Gaza City follows weeks of conflict that have devastated infrastructure across the territory. United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations have repeatedly warned that the combination of restricted aid flows, damaged health services and massive displacement is driving a deepening humanitarian crisis. Israeli officials say their operations are intended to degrade Hamas's military capabilities and secure the release of hostages taken earlier in the conflict.

As military preparations for a possible ground offensive continued, residents described a heightened atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Hospitals, shelters and aid groups appealed for immediate measures to protect civilians and to prevent the humanitarian situation from worsening further in a densely populated urban area already declared to be facing famine.