Israeli warplanes and tanks pummeled the edges of Gaza City through the night into Sunday, unleashing a steady barrage of firepower that lit the skies and rattled families already worn thin by months of conflict. Residents in Zeitoun and Shejaia described hours of unrelenting explosions, while tanks advanced into the Sabra neighborhood, firing on homes and roads. In Jabalia, in the north, several buildings were reduced to rubble.
The destruction drove some families to flee in panic. Others, hardened by displacement and despair, said they would rather die in place than leave once again.
The Israeli military confirmed it had re-entered Jabalia in recent days, saying the operation aimed to dismantle Hamas tunnels and prevent militants from reestablishing control. Officials framed the push as preparation for a larger campaign: a long-anticipated ground offensive to seize Gaza City, which Israel calls Hamas’s final stronghold. The operation, approved earlier this month, is not expected to begin for several weeks, leaving a narrow window for Egyptian and Qatari mediators to revive talks.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed that the offensive would move forward despite warnings from aid agencies about famine conditions and rising political unease within Israel. He said Gaza City would be leveled unless Hamas agreed to Israel’s terms: the release of hostages and an end to the war.
Read Also: Dortmund Complete Chukwuemeka Signing From Chelsea
Hamas, in a statement the same day, dismissed Israel’s plan as proof it had no intention of pursuing peace. The group insisted that only a ceasefire deal could secure the hostages’ return, pinning responsibility for their lives on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
At the center of the stalled diplomacy is a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire. Under its terms, Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 more, while Israel would free about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners. The pause would open the door to negotiations over a permanent truce and the fate of the remaining captives.
For now, the bombs continue to fall, the talks remain fragile, and Gaza’s civilians—caught between siege and survival—wait.