In the Gaza Strip, intense and close-quarters combat ensued between Israeli troops and Hamas in Gaza City on Thursday. Israel claimed a significant victory with a 10-hour battle toppling a Hamas stronghold. Hamas fighters, armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers and assault rifles, clashed with Israeli soldiers in the north of the besieged territory.

The White House announced that Israel agreed to daily four-hour ‘military pauses’ in northern Gaza for humanitarian purposes, considered a “significant step forward.” French President Emmanuel Macron urged nations to work towards a ceasefire during a conference in Paris on Gaza aid, although Israel did not participate. Despite international calls, US President Joe Biden reiterated his stance against a ceasefire.

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Thousands of Palestinians fled the northern part of Gaza for the south, adding to the 50,000 who did so the previous day. The region faced severe devastation after a month of Israeli bombardment sparked by a Hamas raid on October 7. Israel, vowing to destroy Hamas, employed relentless aerial bombing and ground invasion, resulting in over 10,800 deaths, including 4,400 children, and 26,905 injuries.

Witnesses described scenes of devastation, with broken palm trees and mangled road signs. The Israeli military claimed to have secured a Hamas ‘military stronghold’ in western Jabalia after a 10-hour combat, revealing part of Hamas’s extensive tunnel network. The situation in Gaza has led to dire conditions for civilians, with reports of maggot-infested wounds and a growing exodus from battle zones.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs confirmed 50,000 people leaving their homes in northern Gaza on Wednesday, exacerbating the challenges for those remaining in battle zones. The climbing death toll compelled Palestinians to bury their dead in makeshift cemeteries, highlighting the humanitarian crisis.