• Internet, the phone line cut off across Gaza City
• Gazans escaped the bombing and walked southward, vehicles and donkey chariots
•85 Palestinians were killed in assault; Israel lost four soldiers
Gaza City: Israeli tanks and jets smashed Gaza CityIt was the target of a major offensive, where the Palestinians fled to the south on Thursday, where the Israeli military announced the deaths of four soldiers.
AFP Journalists and witnesses saw a steady stream of hiking south, vehicles and donkey carts – their meager recovery piled up high.
“There is artillery fire, air strikes, four-wheel drive and drone gun fire. The bomb will never stop,” said Aya Ahmed, 32.
“The world doesn’t understand what’s going on. They (Israel) want to evacuate the South – but where will we live? No tents, no transfers, no money.”
Palestinians say that in some cases, the ride to the south costs as much as $1,000.
“The situation is indescribable – there are crowds everywhere, explosions, men and men cry and scream as they walk while carrying items,” said Shadi Jawad, 47.
The offensive sparked international anger, and the territory had been destroyed by war and the Gaza City area, plagued by undeclared famine. The Palestine state will be recognized at the United Nations later this month before several countries plan actions, including France and the United Kingdom.
Two of Israeli tanks in Gaza’s city on Thursday were portals to the city center, while internet and telephone lines were cut off from the Gaza Strip, suggesting that ground operations could be further upgraded.
Israeli forces control the eastern suburbs of Gaza City, and have been establishing Chief Sheikh Radwan in recent days and counting the al-hawa region from there, from which it is positioned in the central and western regions where most of the population is located.
“We’re scared, but what should we do?” Bassam al-Qanou said the man on display had about 30 family members in one of the countless shabby improvised tent camps along the city beach.
According to the region’s Ministry of Health, at least 85 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes or gunfires, most in the city of Gaza.
The Israeli military said late Thursday that four of its soldiers killed Rafa, in southern Gaza using explosive devices.
Posted in Dawn on September 19, 2025
