The Israeli army has urged residents of Gaza City to flee ahead of the expected major offensive. The coastal area of Al-Mawasi is supposed to serve as a safe zone – but according to the UN, it is already overcrowded.

Ahead of an expected ground offensive on Gaza City, the Israeli army has called on residents to flee. An army spokesperson urged people to seek shelter in the coastal area of Al-Mawasi."Effective immediately, we are declaring the Al-Mawasi area a humanitarian zone," said an Arabic-language Israeli army message posted online.

This was addressed "to the residents of Gaza City and all those staying there." The Al-Mawasi area near Khan Yunis has the necessary infrastructure, such as field hospitals, water pipes, and desalination plants, an army spokesperson said on X. Aid is also being delivered there.

Aid in the zone would be"continued permanently" in cooperation with the UN and international organizations, parallel to the expansion of the military operation on the ground, it said.

Israel's army apparently preparing to take over Gaza city

UN warns of overcrowded protection zone

The zone designated by the Israeli army is already considered hopelessly overcrowded. According to UN figures, as of June 2025, 425,000 people were staying there in an area of approximately nine square kilometers. They live in huge tent camps. UN organizations describe the provision of latrines and communal toilets, as well as waste disposal, as inadequate. The capacity of the field clinics is also insufficient for the large number of people.

Israel had already declared Al-Mawasi a safe zone at the beginning of the war, which was triggered by the massacre by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. Despite this, the army has since carried out numerous airstrikes in the area, arguing that it was attacking Hamas terrorists hiding among the civilians.

High-rise building in Gaza Strip destroyed in attack

Late that morning, the army also warned of an airstrike on a high-rise building in Gaza, which, according to consistent reports, occurred shortly afterwards. A 15-story high-rise was destroyed.

The Israeli army declared that"Hamas terrorists" had installed technology and observation posts in the building "to monitor Israeli troops." Defense Minister Israel Katz posted a video of the attack on the online service X and wrote: "We continue."

The Israeli army had already destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza yesterday. Before the attack, the army had stated that"significant Hamas terrorist activities" had been identified in the city,"particularly in high-rise buildings." Therefore, Israel would"attack buildings that had been converted into terrorist infrastructure in the coming days."

Netanyahu: Offensive on Gaza City necessary

Weeks ago, Israeli forces launched an offensive on the suburbs of Gaza City in the northern Palestinian Territories. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describes the largest city in the coastal strip as the last stronghold of Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip. He says its capture is necessary to defeat the radical Islamic terrorist organization.

Threat of displacement of hundreds of thousands

According to Israeli sources, the army controls almost half of Gaza City. Overall, around 75 percent of the Gaza Strip is under Israeli control. The offensive could displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have sought refuge there.

Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip are being increasingly criticized not only abroad. Calls are also growing louder in Israel for an end to the war through an agreement that guarantees the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas.