Israeli genocide escalates as IOF declare Gaza City ‘combat zone’
3 Min Read
Forcibly displaced Palestinians flee with little more than mattresses and memories, describing exhaustion, fear, and the constant shadow of death in Gaza amid the Israeli genocide.
-
Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air aggression stand in the Gaza Strip, Thursday, August 28, 2025. (AP)
At least 41 Palestinians have been killed and dozens more wounded in a series of Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip since dawn Friday, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent.
Medical staff at al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said they had received four bodies of martyrs and treated 10 injured after Israeli occupation forces struck crowds gathered near an aid distribution point on Salah al-Din Street, south of Wadi Gaza.
Concurrently, two Palestinians were killed when Israeli warplanes bombed the remains of a previously destroyed house belonging to the Qreinawi family in Block 7 of al-Bureij refugee camp.
In the al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah, the IOF opened fire on starved Palestinians waiting for aid, killing two and injuring several others. Separately, an Israeli drone strike targeted residents on a street in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, leaving multiple people wounded.
IOF declare Gaza City a ‘dangerous combat zone’
"Israel" faces intensifying pressure both domestically and internationally to halt its genocide in Gaza, where most residents have already been displaced at least once, and the United Nations has declared a famine.
Despite these pressures, the Israeli occupation forces are preparing to escalate the aggression and occupy Gaza City.
"Starting today (Friday), at 10:00 (0700GMT), the local tactical pause in military activity will not apply to the area of Gaza City, which constitutes a dangerous combat zone," the IOF stated.
The UN estimates that nearly a million people currently reside in Gaza governorate, which includes Gaza City and surrounding northern areas.
"My heart is burning. We don't want to leave our home. We're exhausted, driven north and south with no relief," said Mohammed Abu Qamar, 42, originally from Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, as he moved south.
"Death is closing in around us. We walk on the road, not knowing if we'll reach safety or die halfway there," he told AFP by telephone.
‘Death is always near’
AFP footage from Gaza City on Thursday showed displaced residents fleeing southward, with vehicles stacked high with mattresses, chairs, and belongings.
In a separate statement, the IOF confirmed it was preparing to "expand operations against Hamas in Gaza City," while COGAT, the Security Ministry body overseeing affairs in occupied Palestinian territories, said it was making arrangements "for moving the population southward....."
Abdul Karim al-Damagh, 64, told AFP that he was also heading south, marking the fifth time he had been forcibly displaced since the war began.
"Today, once again, I must abandon what remains of my home and memories.... The south may be a bit quieter than here, but it's not safe, fear chases us, and death is always near," he said.
