Above photo: Palestinians flee their homes after the Israeli army issued expulsion orders in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighborhood on 3 April 2025. Reuters/Mahmoud Issa.
Palestinians post their final messages on social media.
As Israel’s siege and carpet bombing continue.
Israeli ground forces advanced into the eastern Shujaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City on Thursday amid heavy carpet bombing across the besieged enclave.
The Israeli military said its troops began operations in Shujaiya in northern Gaza to “deepen control” and expand the so-called “security zone”, according to a statement on X.
It claimed to target “several militants” and “Hamas infrastructure”, saying that troops were facilitating civilian evacuations from the conflict zone.
Despite these claims, local media reports indicate that the majority of victims have been children, women and the elderly.
According to Palestinian news outlet Arab48, dozens have been killed since dawn in Rafah, Khan Younis and Gaza City, with the Israeli military reportedly targeting residential apartments and neighbourhoods.
Over the past 24 hours, at least 86 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes and ground assaults, with an additional 287 wounded, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The latest wave of bombings has targeted schools, shelters, hospitals, food centres, Israeli-designated safe zones and a water desalination plant.
Images and videos of intense strikes across Gaza showed widespread destruction in densely populated neighbourhoods, as many Palestinians shared what they describe as their final messages to the world.
Journalist Mohammed Abu Mostafa expressed his frustration with the international community in several posts, writing: “Goodbye to the most treacherous community in history. In a few hours, Gaza will be erased. You will only find us in heaven.”
Meanwhile, Palestinian activist and journalist Aboud Battah urged people to speak up about Gaza, writing: “Talk about us. By God, we are being annihilated in silence.”
غارات عنيفة للاحتلال الإسرائيلي شرق مدينة #غزة#حرب_غزة pic.twitter.com/j0HUBGuOAe
— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) April 4, 2025
The Palestinian health ministry reported that the death toll since 18 March, when Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza, reached 1,249, with 3,022 more wounded.
At least 50,000 have been killed and over 110,000 wounded since October 2023.
“Gaza is a slaughterhouse where Israel is carrying out a holocaust,” Abubaker Abed, a commentator and journalist in Deir al-Balah, wrote on X.
Haya Mortaja, a journalist in Gaza, was among those killed in the recent heavy bombardment. According to reports, the mother of two died as a result of a heart attack from the fear of the strikes.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) reported that over a month of Israel’s total siege on Gaza has continued to block the entry of essentials, such as food, medicine, and fuel, amounting to “collective punishment”.
“People are exhausted as they remain trapped in a tiny piece of land… Aid must be allowed in and the siege must be lifted,” Unrwa urged.
