Gaza Offensive Displaces Hundreds of Thousands, Israel Accused

An intensified IDF ground offensive in Gaza City has driven mass displacement, with Israeli estimates that about 640,000 Palestinians have fled south and other reports putting the city’s pre-offensive population at roughly 700,000–1 million, leaving hundreds of thousands uprooted amid repeated evacuation orders. Bombardment and crowding have worsened a humanitarian catastrophe reportedly verging on famine, and UN agencies and probes have accused Israel of grave abuses; Secretary‑General António Guterres condemned settlement expansion and warned against collective punishment. Israel said it opened a temporary transport corridor as fighting continues, while Hamas has launched rockets and limited ground assaults that have been intercepted or repelled. Several Western countries including the UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognized a Palestinian state, prompting sharp denunciations from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed there “will be no Palestinian state” and threatened retaliatory measures. Analysts warn that heavy‑handed responses, including talk of annexation, risk undermining regional pacts such as the Abraham Accords and further isolating Israel. Reports also detail Israeli operations beyond Gaza — including demolitions, detentions and forced displacement in Syria’s Quneitra province — drawing condemnation from human rights groups.