The Israeli military on Thursday said it controls 40 percent of Gaza City, the largest urban centre in the Palestinian territory which it is preparing to conquer after nearly two years of devastating war.

Israel has intensified in recent days its bombardments of the area of Gaza City, in the territory's north, ahead of the planned offensive, despite mounting international pressure to halt the campaign.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes on Thursday killed more than 30 people in the city, out of at least 64 Palestinians killed across the Gaza Strip.

As concern grows over the dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza's population of more than two million, one of the European Union's top officials called the war a "genocide" -- a term strongly rejected by Israel, but which several governments and numerous rights groups have adopted.

In a televised briefing, Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said that "we hold 40 percent of the territory of Gaza City", adding that the offensive "will continue to expand and intensify in the coming days".

Defrin vowed to "increase the pressure" on Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel sparked........

© Al Monitor