Israeli forces intensified their operations in northern and central Gaza on Wednesday, following an airstrike on a tent encampment that Palestinian officials claimed resulted in over two dozen fatalities. Concurrently, efforts to negotiate a cessation of hostilities were scheduled to recommence. Flyers were distributed over Gaza City, featuring a map delineating "safe routes" for the evacuation of the entire city, rather than specific areas. The Israeli flyers advised civilians to travel southward along two designated paths towards the central Gaza Strip.
Hamas reported that the escalated Israeli offensive on Tuesday claimed the lives of more than 60 Palestinians and posed a threat to ongoing ceasefire negotiations. These talks, aimed at ending the nine-month conflict, were set to continue in Doha on the same day. The airstrike targeted the tents of displaced families near a school in Abassan, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, resulting in at least 29 deaths, predominantly women and children, according to Palestinian medical sources. The Israeli military stated it was investigating reports of civilian casualties, explaining that the strike was aimed at a Hamas fighter involved in the October 7th attack on Israel using "precise munitions".
On Wednesday, Israeli forces expanded their presence in two districts of Gaza City. Soldiers conducted house-to-house searches in certain areas and tanks fired upon several residences, as reported by local residents. Israeli forces also secured the main coastal road, with snipers occupying rooftops of remaining high-rise buildings and tanks positioned at the UNRWA headquarters. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported numerous urgent calls from Gaza City residents trapped in their homes due to the heavy bombing, with their teams unable to assist due to the dangerous conditions.
In Al-Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, medics reported six Palestinians, including children, killed in an early morning airstrike on a house, while another strike in Khan Younis resulted in two deaths and several injuries. Health officials have documented over 38,000 Palestinian fatalities since the war began, triggered by Hamas' October 7th attack that according to Israeli figures, killed 1,200 and led to approximately 250 hostages being taken to Gaza.
