On 29/6, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a social media warning about "military operations that will escalate, increase in intensity, and expand westward to central Gaza City" to destroy Hamas' capabilities in the northern Gaza Strip city.

The IDF asked residents in crowded areas of Gaza City to evacuate to al-Mawasi, a coastal area further south that is overcrowded and lacks infrastructure.

Following the IDF's warning, Palestinian families piled their belongings, tents, and meager food supplies onto horse-drawn carts, bicycles, makeshift vehicles, and cars, leaving the eastern part of Gaza City just as they had managed to regain some stability.

Palestinian children evacuate Gaza City with their families following Israel's warning on 29/6. Photo: Reuters

Palestinian children evacuate Gaza City with their families following Israel's warning on 29/6. Photo: Reuters

Since March, when a ceasefire broke down and Israel restarted its offensive, thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza City have had to abandon their homes and refugee camps to flee to al-Mawasi.

"Since the beginning of the war, they have always promised: 'Release the hostages and we will stop fighting'," said Gaza resident Abdel Hadi Al-Hour. "But they haven't stopped."

Israel continued to bombard Gaza. An airstrike on the evening of 29/6 on a house for displaced people in the Jabaliya al-Nazla neighborhood killed at least 15 people, more than half of whom were women and children, according to Fares Awad, head of ambulance and emergency services for the Gaza Health Ministry in the northern Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military did not comment on the attack, but the area was included in the latest evacuation order. Israel issued the warning after days of bombing across Gaza that killed hundreds of people. The Gaza civil defense agency said 23 Palestinians were killed by Israeli shelling on 29/6, including at least three children.

Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for the agency, said two children were killed in an airstrike on a house in Zaytun, just east of Gaza City, in the early morning.

Location of Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip. Graphic: Al Jazeera

Location of Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip. Graphic: Al Jazeera

Ahmed Arar, 60, a resident of the nearby Jabaliya neighborhood, said his house was destroyed after someone claiming to be an Israeli military officer warned that the area would be bombed.

The Israeli military did not comment on the civilian casualties, but said it was intensifying attacks to "destroy Hamas' military capabilities".

The 20-month war in Gaza began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7/10/2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 to the Gaza Strip. Israel launched a retaliatory offensive, killing at least 56,500 people in Gaza, mostly civilians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 29/6 declared Israel's "victory" over Iran in the 12-day war, which he said had paved the way for efforts to rescue the remaining hostages in Gaza.

"Many opportunities have opened up after this victory. First and foremost is to rescue the hostages," Netanyahu said. "Of course, we must also address the Gaza issue, defeat Hamas, but I believe we will achieve both goals."

A group representing the families of Israeli hostages said Prime Minister Netanyahu had finally made the return of the hostages a top priority after 20 months of delay.

Palestinians inspect damage and collect belongings after an Israeli attack on a residential building in Gaza City on 27/6. Photo: AP

Palestinians inspect damage and collect belongings after an Israeli attack on a residential building in Gaza City on 27/6. Photo: AP

After reaching a ceasefire agreement with Iran on 24/6 and declaring victory, Israel announced it was focusing its forces on the "main front" in Gaza, where Hamas is still holding 50 hostages, more than half of whom may be dead.

US President Donald Trump on 29/6 called for a swift end to the conflict in Gaza. "Make a deal in Gaza, bring the hostages home," he wrote on the Truth Social platform.

Israeli-Hamas negotiations remain stalled, despite mediation efforts by Qatar and Egypt to push for a new ceasefire agreement.

Hong Hanh (According to Guardian/AP)