On September 15, the Israeli army began encircling Gaza City and announced an expanded ground operation as part of the “Gideon’s Chariots II” campaign. According to the IDF, troops are moving deeper into the enclave and increasing pressure on Hamas fighters believed to remain in the city. Israeli officials say the aim is to dismantle the “Gaza City Brigade,” bring all hostages home, and strip Hamas of military and administrative control.
Before the operation, residents were ordered to move south to areas designated by Israel as humanitarian zones. The IDF says it intends to evacuate nearly one million people from the city, and that about 370,000 had already left by early this week. At the same time, families of Israeli hostages gathered outside the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem, demanding an end to the war and a comprehensive deal for their release.
“Our children are there, being used as a human shield,” relatives of the hostages said, accusing the authorities of putting captives at greater risk by continuing the offensive.
Palestinian sources reported new deaths from shelling. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, 65,141 people have been killed in the enclave since October 7, 2023. WAFA, citing medical sources, said that on September 18 alone, 12 people were killed, including nine residents of Gaza City. The enclave has also been without internet and landline service for a second straight day; NetBlocks linked the outage to damage to a major fiber-optic route.
Humanitarian groups have begun suspending or sharply reducing work in the eastern part of the city. Representatives of Anera and the Norwegian Refugee Council said the intensity of the bombardment and the lack of safe movement are forcing them to shift efforts westward or southward. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it plans to keep operating, while Mercy Corps said it would continue supplying water as long as fuel and other resources last.
Israel has opened two temporary routes for people leaving the city, but residents say evacuation remains extremely expensive. People interviewed by Western media described paying between 1,600 and 4,000 shekels to move family members and belongings. Many also fear they will not be able to find a tent or any other shelter in central or southern Gaza.
The main destination for displaced people remains Al-Mawasi on the southern coast. Local officials and residents describe severe overcrowding, along with shortages of water, food, and sanitation. A Khan Younis municipal representative said about 900,000 people are now in the area, most of them forcibly displaced, and that there is almost no space left for new tents. The WHO warned that the offensive in northern Gaza is pushing already overwhelmed hospitals to the brink of collapse, while the UN human rights office said the operation is destroying the last viable element of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure.