Israeli armor closes in on Gaza City. Hamas braces for a block-by-block fight.

Israeli forces are pushing toward the heart of Gaza City, setting up what both sides suggest could be brutal street combat as thousands of civilians scramble to get out.

Israel calls the city Hamas’s “last stronghold” and says the goal is to kill militants and free the 48 remaining hostages — with about 20 believed alive. Fresh video verified by the BBC shows an Israeli tank at Hamid Junction, roughly 1.5km from al-Shifa hospital, and armored vehicles near the main UN compound in southern Gaza City, about 700m from the center.

A Hamas figure told the BBC the group is ready to summon thousands of fighters into the city for a “final, decisive battle,” saying commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad ordered every available unit to converge on Gaza City. Israel last week put Hamas’s strength there at up to 3,000 fighters; the Hamas source claimed 5,000 and threatened suicide attacks—tactics the group hasn’t used widely in this war. None of these figures can be independently verified.

Urban warfare playbook

• Tunnels: Israel is trying to collapse tunnel networks to blunt ambushes. Hamas insists some passages remain usable and says it has shifted to guerrilla tactics and hit-and-run ambushes after heavy losses.
• IDF tactics: Residents report rapid thrusts into neighborhoods followed by pullbacks within hours. Israeli media say the army has used remotely controlled, explosives-packed armored vehicles to detonate buildings used by fighters.
• Civilians warned by drone: Small quadcopters with loudspeakers have told residents to evacuate, spreading panic in several districts.

Israel has ordered civilians to move south along al-Rashid road, the only route it currently allows. The UN estimates 321,000 people have fled south since mid-August; the IDF puts the total at 640,000. For many, the trip is unaffordable — families report paying $3,000+ for transport — so belongings are abandoned and people walk.

Those who stay — still hundreds of thousands — face constant strikes, collapsing hospitals, and dwindling food and water. A UN-backed panel confirmed famine in Gaza City in late August.

Gaza health officials say at least 84 people were killed since dawn amid heavy bombardment, with dozens reported dead in Gaza City alone. The war began after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken. Since then, at least 65,419 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

International journalists have been barred from entering Gaza independently for most of the war, with only IDF-escorted visits allowed — making on-the-ground verification difficult.

With input from BBC, Al Jazeera, the New York Times, and Reuters.