At least nine people, including five children, have been killed in an Israeli strike while fetching water in al-Mawasi, an area of southern Gaza designated by Israel as a safe zone, health officials have confirmed. A doctor at al-Nasser hospital shared images of the children's bodies and water jugs left in a pool of blood at the attack site on Tuesday.
The strike came shortly after the Israel Defense Forces urged residents to leave Gaza City for al-Mawasi, ahead of a looming invasion. The military's Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X that enhanced services, including medical care, water and food, would be provided in al-Mawasi. However, experts have disputed the area's capacity to accommodate displaced people.
Israel has begun mobilising tens of thousands of reservists, with at least 60,000 called up and 20,000 more having their service extended, as it ramps up operations in Gaza City, described as Hamas's last stronghold. The operation, named Gideon's Chariots II, involves five divisions and could extend into next year. Israeli strikes and gunfire have killed at least 76 people across Gaza in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza health authorities.
The world's leading association of genocide scholars stated on Monday that Israel's actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide. Aid groups warn that an invasion of Gaza City and forced displacement of about one million people could have devastating humanitarian consequences. The city, already gripped by famine due to Israeli aid restrictions, has seen 13 people, including three children, die from malnutrition on Tuesday, bringing the total starvation deaths to 361 over 23 months.
Many residents have refused to leave Gaza City, distrustful of promised safe zones after previous attacks on humanitarian areas. The operation, pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under pressure from far-right coalition members, faces domestic opposition, with tens of thousands of Israelis protesting the war as aimless and endangering hostages. Israeli media has reported internal cabinet-military disagreements, with the military chief urging a ceasefire deal instead of continuing the offensive.
