Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed at least 30 people in and around Gaza City on Sunday, including 13 people near a food distribution point, according to local health officials, as Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet met to discuss the next stage of a planned offensive to seize the city. 

Intense bombardment and ground fire were reported across northern Gaza, with residents describing hours of tank shelling and strikes in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood and gunfire in the Netzarim corridor, the Israeli military zone that bisects the Strip. Families fled repeatedly as fighting pressed in from several directions. 

Famine deepens as fighting expands

The escalation comes amid a formally declared famine in Gaza City and surrounding areas. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system confirmed “Famine (IPC Phase 5)” in Gaza Governorate in mid-August, estimating more than half a million people face catastrophic hunger and warning of further spread without a ceasefire and full humanitarian access. 

Israel has labeled Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” and recently ended limited daily pauses for aid deliveries. Officials say civilians will be urged to evacuate before any larger push into the city; aid workers warn that mass displacement on that scale has nowhere safe to go. 

A flotilla sets sail

Against that backdrop, a humanitarian flotilla of roughly 20 boats set off from Barcelona on Sunday. an effort organisers call the largest sea mission yet to break the blockade and open a maritime aid corridor. Among those aboard are climate activist Greta Thunberg and several European public figures. Israel intercepted earlier flotillas this year. Thousands gathered at the Catalan capital’s port to cheer the departure. 

Claims and counterclaims

Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said the military killed Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing, in a strike in Gaza City. Hamas did not immediately comment. 

The Israeli army also said it struck a Hezbollah site in southern Lebanon on Sunday, describing the location as a violation of prior understandings along the border. 

Toll and hostages

The war began with the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 assault that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 people taken hostage. As of Sunday, the Health Ministry in Gaza reports more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed. Israeli hostage families again protested in Tel Aviv, pressing the government to prioritise a deal; officials say 47 captives remain in Gaza and about 20 are believed to be alive.