The Israeli military on Tuesday began what it described as the “main phase” of its ground offensive to fully occupy Gaza City, forcing thousands of residents to flee in vehicles piled with belongings or on foot.
Long lines of cars and trucks were seen along the coastal road, according to the Associated Press, as civilians streamed out of the Palestinian territory’s largest city.
The escalation came the same day a United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
The report accused Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of inciting atrocities and cited widespread killings, aid blockages, forced displacement, and the destruction of a fertility clinic.
Israel rejected the findings as “scandalous” and “fake,” accusing the commission of siding with Hamas.
Heavy bombardments were reported across Gaza City on Tuesday morning. By noon, Shifa Hospital said it had received 34 bodies from the latest strikes.
The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, has since killed more than 64,000 in Gaza, with parts of the enclave now facing famine, health officials warn.
