Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 75 in single day, millions homeless

At least 75 Palestinians were killed on Thursday as Israeli forces escalated air and ground assaults across the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities.

The highest number of casualties was reported in Gaza City, where 44 people were killed amid heavy bombardment.

Residential areas in Gaza City—including Zeitoun, Sabra, Tufah, Nasr, and Shujaiya—were heavily targeted. Civil Defense officials reported multiple fatalities, including eight in Tufah and three members of the al-Ghaf family found dead under rubble in Zeitoun. In Shujaiya, an airstrike on a residential building killed at least two people.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Gaza, Hani Mahmoud, reported that Israeli attacks continued in areas where displaced civilians had sought shelter. In the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, tank fire destroyed homes and tents, forcing more people to flee.

The humanitarian situation remains critical. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and morgues are at capacity. At al-Shifa Hospital, bodies lined the floors, and grieving families gathered outside. A mother was seen holding the body of her child, killed in one of the strikes.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has described Gaza City as a “city of terror.” Tess Ingram, UNICEF’s regional communications officer, said nearly one million people are trapped in “a city of fear, flight, and funerals.”

The Israeli military said it has taken control of approximately 40% of Gaza City and that operations will continue to expand. Satellite images verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking unit show at least 52 Israeli military vehicles positioned in the Zeitoun area. The images also show mass displacement of civilians from northern and central Gaza toward coastal areas between August 25 and September 1.

In central Gaza, an Israeli airstrike on the Nusairat refugee camp killed seven people, including three children. In Rafah, Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd waiting for humanitarian aid, killing seven more.

Southern Gaza remains under pressure as thousands of newly displaced people arrive from the north.

Shurouk Abu Eid, a pregnant woman who fled Khan Younis months ago, said living conditions continue to worsen.