Gaza City Faces Total Destruction as Israel Moves to Take Over — Palestinians Brace for New Wave of Suffering

Gaza City

— once the bustling heart of Palestinian life in the north of the Gaza Strip — now faces the grim prospect of annihilation. Israel’s government has approved a controversial plan to seize control of the city, home to an estimated one million civilians, in what would be a major new phase of the war.

For Palestinians already battered by months of bombardment, displacement, and starvation, the news comes with a familiar and chilling dread.

A Population Trapped in a Cycle of Displacement

Many of those in Gaza City today are people who had fled earlier in the conflict. In the first months of the war, hundreds of thousands escaped to the south, seeking shelter in Khan Younis and Rafah. When a ceasefire in January 2025 raised hopes for peace, many made the long journey back north, only to find their neighborhoods reduced to rubble.

They tried to rebuild their lives amid destruction, believing the worst was over. But hopes were short-lived. When Israel ended the ceasefire in mid-March and cut off humanitarian aid, Gaza spiraled into its most severe crisis yet — famine loomed, and medical supplies ran out.

Now, the Israeli army plans once again to force Gaza City’s population to evacuate, reportedly within two months. Unlike last time, there are few places left to go: Rafah is a wasteland after Israel’s May 2024 invasion, and Khan Younis lies in ruins. Even the so-called “safe zones” are overcrowded and perilous.

Echoes of Rafah’s Destruction

Observers fear Gaza City will soon follow Rafah’s fate. In that southern city, home to around one million people, Israel issued evacuation orders, cut off access, and then flattened much of it under the pretext of eliminating Hamas fighters.

US President Joe Biden had once called an invasion of Rafah a “red line,” yet after civilians fled, Israeli forces went in regardless. Today, Rafah is an empty shell. Many in Gaza now believe their own city’s days are numbered.

What Comes After Gaza City?

If the takeover succeeds, the “middle camps” — Nuseirat, Bureij, and Deir al-Balah — may be next. Though repeatedly bombed, they have not yet faced the kind of full-scale ground assault seen in the north and south. But if Hamas fighters — and hostages — remain there, Israel’s campaign may well extend to these camps too.

Netanyahu’s Calculated Gamble

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing ahead despite warnings from within Israel, including from hostage families and military leaders. About 50 hostages are still held in Gaza, with only around 20 believed to be alive. Critics argue that further escalation endangers their lives.

Internationally, Israel’s image is deteriorating rapidly. Western allies, including Germany, have begun restricting military exports. The United Nations has condemned the move as a violation of international law, and even the US — Israel’s closest partner — may find its patience tested.

Yet Netanyahu appears undeterred. Fresh from military successes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, and damaging strikes on Iran, he sees Israel as a regional superpower able to defeat multiple enemies. The trauma of Hamas’s October 2023 attack still drives his determination to achieve “total victory,” no matter the humanitarian cost.

The question now is not whether Gaza City will survive, but whether anyone — inside or outside the region — will stop its destruction.