• Israeli officials threaten to destroy Gaza City if Hamas does not comply with terms for disarmament and hostage release.
• The Israeli military has intensified its operations around Gaza City, with ongoing bombardments causing extensive destruction.
• Reports of famine in Gaza are escalating, with humanitarian organizations warning of severe consequences for the civilian population.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has issued a stark warning that Gaza City could be completely destroyed unless Hamas agrees to Israel's conditions for ending the conflict, which include the release of all hostages and full disarmament of the group. Katz's comments were echoed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who emphasized the urgency of these conditions, stating, "Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas’s murderers and rapists in Gaza" if no agreement is reached, according to SCMP and ABC News.

As the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) continue their operations in the outskirts of Gaza City, a key stronghold for Hamas, this military escalation has raised alarms at both national and international levels. The IDF claims to be targeting militant infrastructures, including extensive tunnel networks supposedly utilized by Hamas. Despite these claims, humanitarian groups have warned that such military actions could exacerbate the already dire conditions faced by civilians in the region, as detailed by Reuters and Channel News Asia.

Recent reports indicate a significant humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with a global hunger monitor declaring that parts of the region are facing famine, attributing the situation to ongoing military actions and restrictions on aid. The Israeli government has contested this assessment, labeling it as misleading and claiming that it overlooks the aid efforts made in recent months. The Gaza health ministry reports that deaths from malnutrition and starvation have risen sharply, reaching alarming figures including 289 fatalities since the beginning of the conflict, with a substantial number of these being children, according to The Jakarta Post and Channel News Asia.

As bombings continue in Gaza City, with reports of non-stop explosions in various neighborhoods, fear and desperation have driven some families to leave their homes, while many others choose to stay, expressing a haunting uncertainty about their futures. The violence has displaced many, leaving the civilian population experiencing extreme hardship, with a bleak outlook due to the ongoing conflict and worsening humanitarian conditions, according to Reuters and ABC News.