Israeli Tanks Encircle Gaza City Ahead of Major Incursion, EU Proposes Sanctions Amid Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
Israeli Tanks Encircle Gaza City Ahead of Major Incursion, EU Proposes Sanctions Amid Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
Israeli tanks have taken positions on the outskirts of Gaza City, signaling an imminent ground operation into the enclave’s largest urban area. The military buildup, confirmed by eyewitnesses and satellite imagery from September 16, comes as tens of thousands of Palestinians continue to flee the city, many already displaced multiple times.
Despite an Israeli military announcement on Tuesday suggesting the ground operation had commenced, tanks had yet to enter the city proper as of Wednesday. This intensified military action defies widespread international condemnation, with the United Nations and other bodies warning of a severe exacerbation of an already dire humanitarian crisis, including official declarations of famine in parts of Gaza. A recent independent UN inquiry concluded, for the first time, that Israel has committed genocide, a claim Israel denies.
The Palestinian health ministry reported 98 fatalities across Gaza in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since the conflict began to over 65,000. While the ministry does not differentiate between combatant and civilian deaths, it has previously stated that approximately 70% of casualties have been women and children. The scale of displacement is immense, with over 350,000 people reportedly having left Gaza City, though their ultimate destinations remain uncertain given the overcrowding in southern Gaza.
In an apparent effort to accelerate the exodus, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced a 48-hour window for civilians to use Salah al-Din Street, the main north-south artery, to leave Gaza City, effective until Friday midday local time. Meanwhile, the IDF reported continued strikes against “Hamas positions” and other targets within Gaza City, including a weapons production facility and over 150 additional targets in the last 24 hours.
Concerns are mounting over the safety of medical facilities, with the Palestinian health ministry stating that Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital, Gaza’s only specialist children’s hospital, was struck three times on its upper floors where 80 children were being treated. Emergency departments in Gaza City hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed and critically low on essential supplies.
International pressure continues to mount against the Israeli offensive. China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Canada have condemned the operation. Crucially, the European Commission has proposed new trade sanctions targeting Israel and certain far-right Israeli ministers, which, if approved by member states, would partially suspend the EU’s free trade agreement with Israel. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen indicated the proposal would include suspending trade concessions and sanctioning extremist elements, though some member states have expressed reservations. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denounced the EU’s move as “morally and politically distorted.”
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