Israeli troops and tanks are pushing deeper into Gaza City as more people flee the devastated area. Strikes cut off phone and internet services on Wednesday, making it harder for Palestinians to summon ambulances during the military’s new offensive. Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war surpassed 65,000. The Israeli military said air force and artillery units had struck the city more than 150 times in the last few days, ahead of ground troops moving in. The offensive began Monday and aims to take full control of the city.

Israeli forces have launched a new ground offensive in Gaza City, with heavy strikes reported across the area. The operation has left at least 69 Palestinians dead, according to local hospitals. The European Union has urged Israel to halt the offensive, warning it could worsen the humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, the U.K. has called the offensive "reckless." Tens of thousands of Palestinians are attempting to flee northern Gaza. The U.N. Human Rights Council has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, a claim Israel has rejected.

The largest professional organization of scholars studying genocide says that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The determination by the International Association of Genocide Scholars could serve to further isolate Israel in global public opinion and adds to a growing chorus of organizations that have used the term for Israel’s actions. Israel rejects the accusation and called the resolution an “embarrassment.” In the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war, Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Israel’s offensive has leveled large swaths of Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 63,000 Palestinians have died. It does not say how many were fighters or civilians but that around half have been women and children.