At least 73 Palestinians, among them several aid workers, were killed in continuous Israeli bombardments across Gaza on Wednesday, with 43 of these fatalities in Gaza City alone.
Entire families are being killed together in their shelters and tents as Israeli forces target densely populated areas in Gaza.
Sabreen al-Mabhuh, a displaced Palestinian, shared with Al Jazeera, “My brother was killed in his room. They killed my whole family; none are left.”
Reuters reports that Israeli grenades have set ablaze tents at schools sheltering displaced families in Sheikh Radwan, with Zakeya Sami, a resident, saying, “Sheikh Radwan is being burned upside-down. If we don’t stop this takeover of the city, we might all die. No one who watches this inaction shall be forgiven.”
Gaza’s media office states that Israel has detonated over 100 explosive-laden robots in Gaza City in the past three weeks, aiming to obliterate whole residential blocks and districts. Consequently, about 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza City alone since Israel’s operation started on August 13.
Describing the situation as “apocalyptic,” Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, stated, “This feels endless and all-consuming… entire neighborhoods are being erased block by block. People are losing everything they’ve built over decades; for many, this feels like a living nightmare.”
Hamas ready to accept a comprehensive ceasefire
In a statement on Wednesday, Hamas reiterated its readiness to accept a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. This comes after United States President Donald Trump called on Hamas to release the captives still held.
Hamas strongly condemned Israel for committing “horrific war crimes” with a strike on the al-Jarisi family home in northern Gaza City, which killed at least 10, calling it a part of a systematic campaign to annihilate Palestinian life.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported six more deaths from “famine and malnutrition” in the past 24 hours, including a child. It stated that 367 Palestinians, 131 of them children, have died from hunger-related causes during the ongoing blockade, which severely restricts the entry of food and aid.
The Israeli operation in Gaza City risks displacing one million Palestinians, with most of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents displaced multiple times. The UN reports over 82,000 new instances of forced displacement in Gaza between August 14 and 31, including 30,000 displaced from the north to the south.
UNICEF warns that 132,000 children under five in Gaza are at risk of dying from acute malnutrition by mid-2026, totaling over 320,000 Palestinian children facing severe hunger. The agency emphasizes the urgent need for a massive influx of humanitarian aid, including specialized nutrition products.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed in August the prevalence of famine conditions in northern Gaza, rapidly spreading to the south. Aid workers maintain that the complete blockade by Israel has made basic survival a daily struggle.
Growing global outrage
Israel has turned down Hamas’s most recent offer to cease the Gaza war. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Israel insists “the war can end immediately on conditions set by the cabinet,” which include the release of all Israeli captives in Gaza and Hamas’ disarmament.
Despite Hamas accepting ceasefire proposals from mediators, Hamas refuses to disarm until a Palestinian state is established as part of the two-state solution. Qatar, mediating in the conflict, reported that Israel has not yet agreed to the latest ceasefire proposal, accepted by Hamas last month.
Israel’s campaign is incurring increasing international criticism. Several European nations, including France, Britain, Belgium, Canada, and Australia, are expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly this month.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticized Europe’s response to the war as a “failure,” damaging its credibility. He was the first European leader to describe Israel’s actions as genocide, urging a suspension of trade agreements with Israel.
Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, announced his government will suspend funding to arms companies supplying Israel, citing “genocidal policies” in Gaza. He urged London to suspend its trade agreement with Israel.
The UAE warned that Israel’s potential annexation of the occupied West Bank would cross a “red line” and undermine the Abraham Accords, affirming their support for a Palestinian state.
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, unveiled a plan to annex nearly all of the occupied West Bank, urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to support it.
Utrecht University in the Netherlands declared an academic boycott of Israeli institutions due to “genocidal policies” in Gaza, affirming that collaborations are halted until further notice.
