October 1, 2026
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli troops and tanks were pushing deeper into Gaza City on the second day of a ground offensive Wednesday, as Palestinians fled the devastated area en masse.
Israel's military said that air force and artillery units had struck the city over 150 times in the last few days, ahead of ground troops moving in. The strikes have toppled high-rise towers in areas densely populated by tent camps where thousands of Palestinians are sheltering. Israel claims the towers are being used by Hamas terrorists to surveil troops.
At least 16 people died in overnight strikes, hospital officials reported. The death count in Gaza, according to claims by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, is nearing 65,000 Palestinians since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, with a Hamas-led terror attack on Israel.
Meanwhile, Palestinians streamed out of the city — some by car, others on foot. Israel opened another corridor south of Gaza City for two days beginning Wednesday to allow more people to evacuate.
The Gaza Health Ministry claimed that multiple Israeli strikes hit the Rantisi Hospital for children in Gaza City on Tuesday night. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government, said the strikes forced half of some 80 patients to flee the facility. About 40 patients, including four children in intensive care and eight premature babies, remained in the hospital with 30 medical workers, the ministry said.
The Israeli military said it was looking into the strikes, but in the past it has accused Hamas of building military infrastructure inside civilian areas.
The military’s Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, wrote on social media that a new route opened for those heading south for two days starting at noon Wednesday.
An Israeli military graphic suggested its troops hope to control all of the Gaza Strip except for a large swath along the coast by the end of the current operation.
Israeli forces have carried out multiple large-scale raids into Gaza City over the course of the war, only to see terrorists regroup later. This time, Israel has pledged to take control of the entire city.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines, said Tuesday they believe there are 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas terrorists left in Gaza City, as well as tunnels used by the group. Hamas’ military capabilities have been vastly diminished. It now mainly carries out guerrilla-style attacks, with small groups of fighters planting explosives or attacking military outposts before melting away.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led terrorists stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others. Forty-eight hostages, fewer than half believed to be alive, remain in Gaza.
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