Gaza City Faces Escalating Humanitarian Crisis Amid Intensified Conflict

Gaza City is under relentless attack as Israeli forces advance with tanks, drones, and airstrikes, pressing into the last remaining Hamas-held neighborhoods. The 401st Brigade has moved into both areas previously captured and new positions, while civilians struggle to escape the intensifying violence.

Despite repeated warnings to evacuate south, many families remain trapped, navigating streets still under fire or returning to already overcrowded displacement camps. Fighters hiding among civilians further complicate the situation, putting hostages and residents at even greater risk.

The humanitarian crisis has deepened dramatically. Northern Gaza, particularly the city itself, faces severe food shortages, with hundreds of thousands of residents teetering on the brink of starvation. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Dr. Ahmed Al Farah, a pediatrician in the south, reports a surge in severe malnutrition. "Infants are so weakened they appear decades older than they are," he said, describing the toll on the youngest victims.

Dr. Shireen Abed, a pediatrician and neonatal specialist at Nasser Hospital, continues delivering babies and caring for children in displacement camps despite scarce resources, having established emergency protocols to provide life-saving treatment under extreme conditions. Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, highlighted severe shortages of medical supplies and the immense challenges of providing care amid ongoing conflict.

International monitoring groups have classified the situation as a catastrophic hunger emergency, with over 500,000 Palestinians facing starvation and acute malnutrition. The World Health Organization has warned that malnutrition-related deaths are rising, with nearly one in five children under five now acutely malnourished in Gaza City. Delays and restrictions on humanitarian aid have exacerbated the crisis, which remains largely preventable.

As the offensive continues, analysts caution that political pressures may shape Israel's strategy, while the broader ground campaign threatens to drive Gaza deeper into humanitarian disaster.