Israel is applying what observers describe as “extreme pressure” in Gaza as the death toll surpasses 65,000. The Israeli military has reportedly killed at least 79 Palestinians across the territory, including dozens in Gaza City, where a major offensive continues despite growing international threats of sanctions.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reports that the Israeli army is intensifying efforts to force hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the north into overcrowded areas of central and southern Gaza.
Tensions are also rising in Washington. According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed deep frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Gaza strategy. Trump, who favors a negotiated settlement over military escalation, was particularly angered by Israel’s strike on Hamas negotiators in Doha. The report quotes officials close to Trump as saying he felt personally undermined by Netanyahu’s move.
Out of 65,000 Death in Gaza
Analysts suggest that Netanyahu’s decisions have not only prolonged the Gaza conflict but also complicated U.S. efforts to manage regional alliances and advance the Abraham Accords. Shalom Lipner of the Atlantic Council noted that these developments have placed Trump in a challenging position with American partners in the Middle East.
On the ground in Gaza City, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Civilians are fleeing under heavy shelling and air strikes as Israeli forces advance simultaneously from the northwest and southeast, effectively trapping people in the center and forcing them westward. Many remain buried beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings, while repeated displacements are leaving families with nowhere safe to go.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has once again called for urgent action to prevent famine across Gaza. In a recent statement, the UN outlined the steps needed: an immediate ceasefire, the entry of hundreds of aid trucks per day, safe humanitarian corridors, an end to bureaucratic delays, and the restoration of essential services such as electricity, water, and commercial supplies.
