Medics Warn of Civilian Risk as Israeli Tanks Push Deeper Into Gaza City
Gaza City – September 28, 2025:
Israeli forces expanded their ground offensive in Gaza City on Sunday, pushing tanks into densely populated neighborhoods and raising fears of a worsening humanitarian crisis.
According to witnesses and medical staff, Israeli incursions intensified in Sabra, Tel Al-Hawa, Sheikh Radwan, and Al-Naser, edging closer to the city’s center where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians remain trapped.
The ground assault, launched on September 16 after weeks of heavy bombardment, has already displaced more than 350,000 residents, with the World Food Programme (WFP) warning that hundreds of thousands still remain under siege conditions.
Health officials said they were unable to respond to dozens of emergency calls as Israeli authorities denied 73 requests for medical evacuations. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that four health facilities have shut down in recent weeks, further crippling Gaza’s collapsing health system.
At least 21 Palestinians were killed on Sunday, including five in an airstrike on Gaza’s Al-Naser area and 16 in strikes on homes in central Gaza. Later, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that 77 people were killed in the past 24 hours alone.
The Israeli military claimed its operations targeted militants, including five fighters allegedly attempting to fire anti-tank missiles. Over the past day, the air force struck 140 sites described as “militant infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts remain stalled. Hamas said it had not received any new mediation proposals, even as US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about a Gaza deal ahead of his Monday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US Embassy in Israel confirmed Ambassador Mike Huckabee would travel to Egypt for talks with Egyptian officials, who are among the main mediators in the conflict.
Since the start of Israel’s offensive nearly two years ago, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed and the enclave’s health, food, and humanitarian systems have collapsed, Gaza health authorities say.
