Israeli forces have ramped up attacks on Gaza City, systematically levelling buildings, including schools-turned-shelters run by the United Nations, and killing at least 49 people.
The toll from Gaza City took the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks across the Strip on Saturday to 62.
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More than 6,000 Palestinians were also displaced in Gaza City by the relentless bombardment, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence.
“Residents of Gaza City are now living in extremely difficult conditions under the continuous siege and bombardment,” said Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for the agency.
Israeli forces launched strikes in rapid succession on Gaza City, according to witnesses, in a bid to clear the urban centre for takeover, dropping leaflets warning starving and terrified Palestinians to flee for their lives.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said that Israeli fighter jets were dropping bombs “every 10 to 15 minutes” on residential buildings and public facilities, often failing to give people sufficient time to evacuate to safety.
“The pace and pattern of the attacks suggest one thing: The Israeli army is deliberately putting extreme pressure on places that are densely populated with displaced families,” he said, adding that displaced people were now concentrated in the city’s western flank.
But, he added, even as the military pummels the city, many residents are staying put or even returning after attempting the journey south to the “crammed and under-resourced” camp of al-Mawasi, where Israel has been frequently striking shelters.
Some 900,000 people are still in Gaza City.
Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the head of al-Shifa Hospital, said residents were moving from the east to the west of Gaza City, but “only a small number of people have been able to reach the south”.
“Even those who manage to flee south often find no place to stay, as the al-Mawasi area is completely full and Deir el-Balah is also overcrowded,” said Abu Salmiya, adding that many have returned to Gaza City after failing to find shelter or basic services.
The Israeli army claimed on X that more than 250,000 people had fled the enclave’s largest urban centre.
Reverse displacement
Reporting from the south, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary witnessed a steady stream of families arriving from the north to the al-Mawasi camp, believing that they were going to find “water, hygiene – everything that Israeli forces advertised”.
Three of the Israeli-backed GHF aid distribution sites are located in the al-Mawasi area, as part of Israel’s strategy to lure Palestinians southwards. However, human rights groups and governments have harshly criticised the GHF after more than 850 people