Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza Metropolis, hospitals say, as offensive expands

[ad_1] <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/bb38/live/2a25f680-9980-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/bb38/live/2a25f680-9980-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/bb38/live/2a25f680-9980-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/bb38/live/2a25f680-9980-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/bb38/live/2a25f680-9980-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/bb38/live/2a25f680-9980-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/bb38/live/2a25f680-9980-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/bb38/live/2a25f680-9980-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Reuters Palestinian man Mohammed Hajjaj stands amid the ruins of a building sheltering displaced families near Firas market in Gaza City, which was destroyed in an Israeli air strike (24 September 2025)" class="sc-86c96223-0 fHZDyi"/> Reuters Mohammed Hajjaj mentioned his kin had been killed when a shelter for displaced households was struck

Greater than 80 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli hearth throughout the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, most of them in Gaza Metropolis, native hospitals mentioned.

Girls and kids had been amongst at the very least 20 who died when a strike hit a constructing and tents sheltering displaced households close to Firas market in Gaza Metropolis's central Daraj neighbourhood in a single day, in line with first responders.

The Israeli army mentioned it struck two Hamas fighters and that the variety of casualties didn't align with its personal info.

In the meantime, Israeli tanks and troops continued their advance into the center of town, which Israel says is the final stronghold of Hamas.

The army has mentioned the bottom offensive goals to safe the discharge of the hostages nonetheless held by Hamas and make sure the Palestinian armed group's "decisive defeat".

A whole lot of 1000's of residents have up to now fled Gaza's greatest city centre, the place a famine was confirmed final month by a UN-backed physique. However lots of of 1000's extra stay there in dire humanitarian circumstances, with well being and different important companies collapsing.

In a separate growth, US particular envoy Steve Witkoff mentioned President Donald Trump had introduced a "21-point plan for peace within the Mideast and Gaza" to a bunch of Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the UN Basic Meeting in New York on Tuesday.

Witkoff gave no particulars in regards to the plan, however mentioned it addressed "Israeli considerations in addition to the considerations of all of the neighbours within the area".

"We're hopeful, and I would say even assured, that within the coming days we'll be capable to announce some kind of breakthrough," he added.

Hospitals in Gaza Metropolis mentioned on Wednesday afternoon they'd obtained the our bodies of greater than 60 individuals killed by Israeli strikes and gunfire since midnight.

The Hamas-run Civil Defence company mentioned a 3rd of the fatalities had been the results of an Israeli strike on a warehouse sheltering displaced individuals close to Firas market, and that six girls and 9 youngsters had been amongst them.

Worldwide journalists, together with these from the BBC, are blocked by Israel from coming into Gaza independently, so it's troublesome to confirm the studies.

However video footage from the scene confirmed individuals eradicating a physique wrapped in a blanket from the rubble of a destroyed constructing.

Mohammed Hajjaj, whose kin had been among the many lifeless, informed the AFP information company that the location was hit by "heavy bombing" whereas individuals had been asleep.

"We got here and located youngsters and girls torn aside. It was a pitiful sight," he mentioned.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/221f/live/104c6b80-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/221f/live/104c6b80-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/221f/live/104c6b80-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/221f/live/104c6b80-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/221f/live/104c6b80-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/221f/live/104c6b80-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/221f/live/104c6b80-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/221f/live/104c6b80-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters Mourners pray near the bodies of people reportedly killed in an Israeli air strike on a building where displaced families were sheltering, at al-Ahli hospital, Gaza City (24 September 2025)" class="sc-86c96223-0 fHZDyi"/> Reuters The our bodies of these killed close to Firas market had been dropped at al-Ahli hospital

Different photos confirmed individuals mourning beside at the very least six our bodies in white shrouds and plastic baggage laid on the ground exterior al-Ahli hospital.

One lady, Tala al-Deeb, mentioned 4 of the our bodies had been her sister's husband and two youngsters, in addition to her sister's father-in-law.

When requested to remark, the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) mentioned it "struck two Hamas terrorists".

"The IDF is conscious of a declare concerning casualties within the space, nevertheless the variety of casualties doesn't align with the data held by the IDF," it added.

Elsewhere in Gaza Metropolis, witnesses reported seeing Israeli tanks within the south-western Tel al-Hawa and north-western Rimal neighbourhoods.

The Palestinian Pink Crescent mentioned on Tuesday that Israeli army automobiles had been stationed exterior al-Quds hospital in Tal al-Hawa, and that its oxygen station had been broken and brought out of service by Israeli gunfire.

The IDF mentioned on Wednesday that "no direct strike was performed in the direction of the hospital", and that the circumstances of the incident had been below assessment.

Individually, the IDF launched aerial footage that it mentioned confirmed Hamas fighters of opening hearth from inside the compound of al-Shifa hospital in Rimal just a few days in the past.

Reuters cited a Hamas safety official as saying that "felony gangs" had opened hearth on the hospital from exterior the compound.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/7744/live/4b0d7750-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/7744/live/4b0d7750-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7744/live/4b0d7750-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/7744/live/4b0d7750-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/7744/live/4b0d7750-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/7744/live/4b0d7750-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/7744/live/4b0d7750-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7744/live/4b0d7750-9981-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza move southwards along the coastal road, in central Gaza (24 September 2025)" class="sc-86c96223-0 fHZDyi"/> Reuters A whole lot of 1000's of Gaza Metropolis residents have fled the Israeli offensive

Throughout a go to to Gaza Metropolis on Wednesday, the IDF's Chief of Employees Lt Gen Eyal Zamir mentioned it was "working within the Gaza Strip with a lot of troops, with a give attention to placing Gaza Metropolis to create circumstances for the discharge of the hostages and for Hamas' decisive defeat".

The overall additionally acknowledged that "most of Gaza's inhabitants has already left Gaza Metropolis, and we're transferring them southward for his or her security".

"I name on Gazan residents: stand up and break free from Hamas - it's chargeable for your struggling. The battle and the struggling will finish if Hamas releases the hostages and relinquishes its weapons," he added.

Hamas's army wing warned the IDF that increasing its operations in Gaza Metropolis would endanger the 48 remaining hostages, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Israeli media cited the IDF as saying that about 700,000 residents had up to now evacuated to southern Gaza because the plans for the offensive had been introduced final month.

Nonetheless, the UN and its humanitarian companions mentioned they'd solely monitored 339,600 individuals crossing into the south as of Tuesday.

They've additionally beforehand warned that the Israeli-designated "humanitarian space" for the displaced in al-Mawasi is already overcrowded and unsafe.

Gaza Metropolis resident Thaer Saqr mentioned he had tried to journey south from the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood on Tuesday along with his spouse, youngsters and sister.

"The tanks on the coastal street... opened hearth on us, and my sister was killed," he informed AFP.

He mentioned they had been now at al-Shifa hospital and would "not go away, even when they kill us all".

On Tuesday, the UN's human rights workplace decried the IDF's ways in Gaza Metropolis, saying there had been a pointy enhance within the variety of civilians being killed in Israeli assaults and that the concentrating on of civilian infrastructure and destruction of houses was "making it doubtless that the displacement can be everlasting".

It additionally criticised Israeli authorities, together with Defence Minister Israel Katz, for threatening to destroy Gaza Metropolis if Hamas didn't adjust to Israel's calls for.

"Such ways and statements appear meant to inflict terror and concern amongst civilians and to drive them to go away northern Gaza," it warned.

The Israeli army launched a marketing campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, through which about 1,200 individuals had been killed and 251 others had been taken hostage.