Israel ‘tightens siege’ of Gaza Metropolis as Hamas critiques Trump peace plan

[ad_1] <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/0c87/live/b350dd20-9ed1-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/0c87/live/b350dd20-9ed1-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0c87/live/b350dd20-9ed1-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/0c87/live/b350dd20-9ed1-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/0c87/live/b350dd20-9ed1-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/0c87/live/b350dd20-9ed1-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/0c87/live/b350dd20-9ed1-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0c87/live/b350dd20-9ed1-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Reuters A Palestinian girl sits amid debris at a school in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighbourhood, where displaced people were taking shelter, after it was hit in an overnight Israeli strike (1 October 2025)" class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> Reuters A faculty shelter for displaced folks in southern Gaza Metropolis was struck by Israeli forces in a single day

Israel's defence minister has mentioned its forces are "tightening the siege" round Gaza Metropolis by extending a army hall throughout the territory in direction of the coast.

Israel Katz additionally issued a ultimate warning to the a whole lot of hundreds of Palestinians within the metropolis to evacuate southwards, saying those that remained in the course of the offensive in opposition to Hamas could be "terrorists and supporters of terror".

Hospitals reported that 45 folks had been killed by Israeli fireplace in Gaza Metropolis on Wednesday, whereas the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross (ICRC) mentioned it had been compelled to droop operations there.

Israel is stepping up the assault as Hamas weighs its response to a brand new US plan to finish the conflict.

Arab and Turkish mediators are understood to be urgent for a optimistic response, however a senior Hamas determine has mentioned the armed group is more likely to reject it.

The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) has described Gaza Metropolis as Hamas's "final stronghold".

It has mentioned the offensive goals to safe the discharge of the 48 hostages nonetheless held by Hamas - 20 of whom are believed to be alive - and make sure the group's "decisive defeat".

Israel's defence minister instructed Israeli media on Wednesday that the IDF was "at the moment finishing the seize of the Netzarim hall to the western coast of Gaza" - a reference to the Israeli army zone that runs east-west from the perimeter with Israel.

"This may tighten the siege round Gaza Metropolis, and anybody leaving it south will probably be compelled to cross by means of the IDF's checkpoints," the Haaretz newspaper quoted Katz as saying.

He warned that this was the "final probability for Gaza [City] residents who're concerned about shifting south and leaving Hamas terrorists remoted in Gaza Metropolis itself within the face of IDF exercise that continues at full energy".

"Those that stay in Gaza will probably be terrorists and terror supporters," he warned.

The Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross said that "beneath worldwide humanitarian regulation, civilians should be protected whether or not they keep or depart Gaza Metropolis".

It additionally mentioned that Israel, because the occupying energy, had an obligation to make sure their primary wants have been met, together with by defending medical personnel and permitting the speedy and unimpeded passage of humanitarian help all through the Strip.

The ICRC's warning got here in an announcement asserting that the intensification of army operations had compelled it to droop operations at its workplace in Gaza Metropolis, the place it mentioned civilians have been "being killed, forcibly displaced and made to endure dire situations".

"The ICRC will proceed to try to offer help to civilians in Gaza Metropolis, at any time when circumstances permit, from our places of work in Deir al-Balah and Rafah [in central and southern Gaza], which stay absolutely operational," it mentioned.

"This consists of offering medical donations to the few remaining well being amenities in Gaza Metropolis and doing the utmost to facilitate the actions of first responders."

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/fcc4/live/7db85030-9ed1-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/fcc4/live/7db85030-9ed1-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/fcc4/live/7db85030-9ed1-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/fcc4/live/7db85030-9ed1-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/fcc4/live/7db85030-9ed1-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/fcc4/live/7db85030-9ed1-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/fcc4/live/7db85030-9ed1-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/fcc4/live/7db85030-9ed1-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza amid an Israeli military operation, as seen from central Gaza (1 October 2025)" class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> Reuters Lots of of hundreds of individuals have fled Gaza Metropolis since August, however a whole lot of hundreds extra are believed to stay there

Additionally on Wednesday, the IDF's Arabic spokesman introduced that folks within the south of Gaza would now not be capable of use the al-Rashid coastal highway to journey north to Gaza Metropolis. The highway would stay open for these fleeing south, he mentioned.

Gaza's Hamas-run Authorities Media Workplace condemned the choice, which it mentioned was "a part of the continuing coverage of suffocation, siege, and genocide perpetrated by the occupation [Israel] in opposition to our Palestinian folks within the Strip".

The IDF has ordered Gaza Metropolis residents to evacuate to a chosen "humanitarian space" within the southern al-Mawasi space.

Israeli media cited the IDF as saying on Monday that about 800,000 folks had fled the town for the reason that plans for the offensive have been introduced in August, and that between 250,000 and 350,000 folks remained.

Nevertheless, the UN and its humanitarian companions mentioned they'd solely monitored 397,000 folks crossing into southern Gaza as of Saturday.

Unicef spokesman James Elder instructed the BBC that in a current go to to Gaza Metropolis he had witnessed "a number of air strikes within the very brief time" and "a mixture of kids who're emaciated [and] completely exhausted girls".

"Anybody who may communicate English would clarify to me that staying in Gaza Metropolis shouldn't be a alternative, that they do not have the funds to go south. They do not have the transport. As soon as they get south, they know there is no land, and positively that they do not have a tent," he mentioned.

Additionally they knew that situations in al-Mawasi have been overcrowded and unsanitary, and that it was not spared from Israeli strikes, he added.

"They've seen what shrapnel does to a tent. They've seen tents engulfed by flames. So that they're properly conscious that security, be it from the skies or illness from the bottom, definitely does not exist."

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/7cd3/live/5c659f90-9ed2-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/7cd3/live/5c659f90-9ed2-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7cd3/live/5c659f90-9ed2-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/7cd3/live/5c659f90-9ed2-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/7cd3/live/5c659f90-9ed2-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/7cd3/live/5c659f90-9ed2-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/7cd3/live/5c659f90-9ed2-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7cd3/live/5c659f90-9ed2-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters Women mourn over the body of Civil Defence first responder Munther al-Dahshan, who was the agency said was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City (1 October 2025)" class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> Reuters The Civil Defence mentioned one in every of its rescuers was killed whereas responding to the strike on the Gaza Metropolis faculty

Medics mentioned 29 of these killed in Gaza Metropolis on Wednesday have been dropped at al-Ahli hospital, within the southern Zeitoun neighbourhood.

A video filmed in a single day appeared to point out 4 severely injured males sporting high-visibility jackets receiving therapy inside a tent there.

The Hamas-run Civil Defence company alleged {that a} group of its paramedics and firefighters have been "straight focused" by an Israeli strike as they responded to a strike on close by al-Falah faculty, which was getting used as a shelter for displaced households.

It mentioned the rescuers had been performing humanitarian work, sporting uniforms, and driving marked autos, and that the assault constituted a flagrant violation of worldwide regulation.

The company initially mentioned seven rescuers have been injured and two have been in a essential situation. Later, it introduced that one in every of them, Munther al-Dahshan, had died.

Palestinian media reported that six folks have been killed within the preliminary strike on the varsity. One Civil Defence member mentioned on social media that the casualties included kids, and posted a video of a severely injured boy mendacity on a hospital mattress body.

When requested to remark, the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) mentioned in an announcement that it "struck a Hamas terrorist" and that "steps have been taken so as to mitigate hurt to civilians".

BBC Confirm analyses President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and what it means on the bottom

Israel's authorities authorized plans for the Gaza Metropolis offensive following the breakdown of oblique talks with Hamas on a earlier US proposal for a deal that might have seen about half of the hostages launched throughout a 60-day ceasefire.

Arab and Turkish mediators have been assembly Hamas leaders in Qatar, placing strain on them to just accept the brand new 20-point peace plan unveiled by President Donald Trump on Monday.

Nevertheless, a senior Hamas determine instructed the BBC that it served "Israel's pursuits" and that the group was more likely to reject it.

The plan consists of an instantaneous finish to the conflict, the discharge of all of the hostages inside 72 hours in change for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, in addition to the disarmament of Hamas and a gradual Israeli troop withdrawal.

Trump instructed reporters on Tuesday that Hamas leaders had "three or 4 days" to just accept the phrases. He later warned that they might "pay in hell if they do not signal".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the meantime instructed a authorities assembly that he agreed to the plan as a result of it achieved all of Israel's conflict goals.