Israeli forces have stepped up their assault on Gaza City with a wave of heavy air strikes, marking a sharp escalation from previous military operations.
Unlike earlier phases of the war, the current offensive has relied heavily on aerial bombardments, with entire apartment blocks and large concrete structures reduced to rubble.
The intensification of strikes in recent days has triggered a surge in civilian displacement.
Israel has warned all residents of Gaza City to leave immediately in anticipation of a huge ground offensive.
On Saturday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said about 250,000 people had left the city and moved south. They also reported they had destroyed a high-rise building that they claimed was used to advance and execute terrorist attacks against its troops.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the city is Hamas's last major stronghold, but this plan to occupy Gaza City has garnered significant international criticism.
The UN has cautioned that the intensifying offensive in a region already declared in famine could lead civilians into an even deeper catastrophe. Gaza City serves as the largest urban center in the territory, rich in Palestinian political and social history.
Residents report that the Israeli military has been targeting schools and makeshift shelters, often issuing warnings just moments before bombardments.
Many families are making desperate attempts to flee in darkness toward the western part of Gaza.
We escaped certain death, my husband, our three children and I, said Saly Tafeesh, a mother sheltering in the city. My brother died in my arms after being shot by a quadcopter drone. We ran in the dark to the west of Gaza.
The Israeli military has instructed residents to evacuate to the south of the territory, yet many families claim they cannot afford the journey, which costs up to $1,100 (£800). Meanwhile, Hamas has ramped up its calls for residents to stay put and resist leaving the city.
Rubein Khaled, a father with nine children trying to move south, expressed frustration: The Hamas preacher at Friday prayers accused anyone leaving Gaza City of being a coward running from the battlefield. But why doesn't he tell Hamas leaders to surrender and release the Israeli hostages so this war can stop? We don't want to leave either, but we have no choice.
Israeli operations have yet to reach some eastern neighborhoods, which have remained largely intact since early raids in January, but the current campaign implies they may now be trying to dismantle entire districts.
Meanwhile, a Qatari foreign ministry spokesman harshly criticized Israel's prime minister in an interview, asserting that the international community must collectively address the challenges posed by Netanyahu.
On Saturday, Hamas's health ministry reported the arrival of 47 bodies at hospitals over the previous day due to military actions. Since a famine was confirmed in Gaza City, at least 142 deaths from starvation and malnutrition have been recorded.
The dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza result from extensive Israeli airstrikes following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which claimed around 1,200 lives and involved hostages being taken.
As the conflict continues, the death toll in Gaza since the onset of the Israeli campaign has reached at least 64,803, according to local health ministry reports.
