Israeli occupation forces massacred scores of starving Palestinians at aid centers and intensified bombardments across Gaza, while preparing a full-scale assault on Gaza City despite international warnings.

On Thursday, the Israeli occupation army carried out fresh massacres against displaced and starving Palestinians gathered at aid distribution points across the Gaza Strip, killing dozens, while bombardment forced more families to flee.

Hospital sources in Gaza reported that at least 61 people were killed since dawn, including 19 shot dead near aid control centers in both the north and south of the Strip.

Air and artillery strikes continued across most of Gaza, from Khan Yunis in the south to Jabaliya in the north, with Deir Al-Balah in the center also under attack. 

Heavy shelling targeted Gaza City’s southern and eastern neighborhoods, as well as the remaining populated areas in the north, pushing thousands more Palestinians toward the south. Local officials warned that areas such as Deir Al-Balah can no longer absorb the swelling numbers of displaced families.

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Israeli forces continued bombing and destroying residential blocks in Gaza City and surrounding areas, while threatening a new ground operation to drive civilians further south.

One Palestinian was killed when occupation forces struck a house in Gaza City’s Al-Sabra neighborhood. Footage obtained by Al-Jazeera showed Civil Defense crews recovering the bodies of three Palestinians from the same area despite continuous aerial attacks and quadcopter drones firing at anyone moving nearby.

Elsewhere, Israeli aircraft hit the Shejaiya and Zaytoun districts of Gaza City. Earlier in the day, an Israeli drone strike near Ansar Roundabout, west of Gaza City, killed two more civilians.

In the north, Israeli air raids targeted Jabaliya Al-Nazla. Hamad Hospital confirmed it had received two bodies at least 40 wounded Palestinians who were shot by Israeli soldiers while waiting for food. Aid centers across northern Gaza, including Sudan Square, have been scenes of repeated massacres in recent weeks.

In central Gaza, four Palestinians, including two children, were killed in an airstrike on Al-Bureij camp. 

In the south, Nasser Hospital reported casualties in a bombardment on a displaced persons’ tent west of Khan Yunis, while another Israeli strike on the Miraj area killed at least two civilians waiting for food.

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Expanding Operations

At the same time, Israeli forces mobilized along Gaza’s borders. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir announced that operations are now focused on expanding into Gaza City, vowing to continue the offensive under the banner of defeating Hamas and securing the release of captives.

An army spokesperson said the Golani Brigade destroyed infrastructure in Khan Yunis, while the 138th Brigade advanced along the so-called Magen Oz axis. Occupation forces have also pushed into the outskirts of Sabra, Zaytoun, and Jabaliya.

Despite Israel’s overwhelming firepower and destruction of entire neighborhoods, resistance remains active on several fronts.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government recently approved a plan to occupy Gaza City, dismissing international warnings about catastrophic consequences for the besieged, starving population.

(PC, AJA)