The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) state they have launched military operations on the periphery of Gaza City in preparation for “a large-scale offensive to capture the entire city,” according to media reports from Tel Aviv. It is emphasized that “tens of thousands of reservists are expected to report for duty on September 2nd for the offensive, which is likely to begin in the coming weeks.”
The initial death toll from recent Israeli strikes on Gaza stands at at least 11, as reported by medical sources cited by Al Jazeera. The sources indicated that six of those killed were people seeking food.
Furthermore, Munir al-Bursh, the head of the Hamas-run Health Ministry, stated in a report by Al Jazeera that “289 Palestinians have died from hunger in the Gaza Strip, including 115 children.”
In a related development, Houthi television network Al Masirah reported that Israeli forces bombed the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, striking an area near the presidential complex and several missile bases.
Separately, media outlets cited by The Times of Israel report that Israel has assessed “at least one or two” of the hostages held in Gaza are in critical, life-threatening condition. This follows a declaration from former U.S. President Donald Trump that fewer than 20 hostages are still alive.
In a separate incident, Palestinian journalist Khaled Al-Madhoun, a cameraman for Palestine TV, was killed last evening after being struck by Israeli forces in northern Gaza. According to a correspondent for the WAFA news agency, Al-Madhoun was targeted in the Zikim area, north of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate mourned his death, condemning the killing and emphasizing that targeting journalists is a crime committed by Israeli forces in an attempt to obscure the truth.