• Israeli military calls for Gaza City residents to evacuate south due to intensified operations.
• The offensive, aimed at capturing Gaza City, follows an October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel.
• Negotiations for hostage release and ceasefire remain fraught amid military actions.

The Israeli military on Saturday urged residents of Gaza City, the largest urban area in the enclave, to evacuate southwards, warning that military operations were ongoing throughout the city. Israeli forces have been intensifying their offensive on the suburbs for weeks following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's directive to capture Gaza City, which he describes as a Hamas stronghold, essential for combating the militant group that launched an attack on Israel in October 2023. This assault threatens to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have already been affected by nearly two years of fighting, with around a million people residing in Gaza City prior to the war, according to Reuters, South China Morning Post, and Channel News Asia.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee recommended that residents move to a designated humanitarian zone in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. He assured evacuees that they would receive food, medical care, and shelter. Despite this, many residents, previously displaced, are reluctant to leave again. The military reports controlling almost half of Gaza City and claims to have operational control over about 75% of the entire Gaza Strip, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.

The campaign has intensified despite Israeli military leadership's advice against pursuing this strategy. Netanyahu's decision came amidst increasing international condemnation of Israel’s military actions that have left Gaza in ruins and its inhabitants facing a severe humanitarian crisis. There are rising domestic pressures for a diplomatic resolution that prioritizes the release of hostages taken by Hamas, with approximately 48 remaining captives still unaccounted for, according to Channel News Asia.

As the military continues operations, it asserts that significant numbers of Hamas' key leaders and fighters have been eliminated, effectively reducing the militant group to a guerrilla force. As negotiations for hostages remain stalled, Hamas has suggested a temporary ceasefire in exchange for releasing some captives. Israeli officials believe that while negotiations mediated by the U.S. and Arab states have faltered, these discussions may become vital in future, especially as defense minister Israel Katz stated operations would intensify until Israel's conditions of hostage release and disarmament are met, or face total destruction, according to Reuters, South China Morning Post, and Channel News Asia.