Israel calls evacuation 'inevitable'; Trump talks on post-war Gaza doubtful

Officials from Israel and the US were scheduled to meet in Washington on 27 August, Wednesday, to discuss plans for a ‘post-war Gaza’, even as Israel’s military described the upcoming evacuation of Gaza City as “inevitable” ahead of its expanded offensive — with no prospects for a ceasefire apparent any longer, despite Hamas’ recent agreement to mediators’ suggested terms.

The meeting under the aegis of POTUS Donald Trump, a staunch ally of Israeli PM ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu, takes place even as global outrage intensifies over the ‘double tap’ Israeli airstrikes earlier this week on a southern Gaza hospital that killed several mainstream journalists and relief workers, among others.

Gaza’s health officials reported that the death toll at Nasser Hospital rose to 22 after two more people who were injured in that double-attack died on 27 August, Wednesday.

The Israeli military, which had indicated it would conduct an investigation, at one point called it a “mistake”, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu expressing “regrets” in its aftermath, calling it a “tragic mishap"; but the IDF doubled down to claim its target was a “Hamas camera” in the premises.

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The IDF presented no evidence that six of the victims were militants, however, for all their claims.

International leaders are increasingly urging Israel to halt its offensive and engage in dialogue. Pope Leo XIV too called on Israel to end the “collective punishment” and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel plans wider evacuation of Gaza City

Humanitarian organisations have warned that expanding Israel's offensive will deepen the crisis in Gaza, where over 2 million residents have already been displaced, neighbourhoods have been destroyed and famine has been declared.

As of today, the total number of child deaths reported due to starvation and malnutrition has increased to 117 according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza

All 320,000 children under 5 in #Gaza remain at risk of acute malnutrition, increasing illness and long-term health risks pic.twitter.com/WmQtR36H5q

— OCHA MENA (@ocharomena) August 26, 2025

If Israel's military goes ahead with its planned offensive in Gaza City, then “all hope is gone that we're ever going to see the end to this”, Sam Rose, the acting director of Gaza operations for the UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) told the Associated Press.

Rose said some people are too old, too young or too ill or incapacitated to evacuate Gaza City, even as Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles are deployed to its outskirts.

“You've got a population that's living in abject fear, in abject cruelty, abject humiliation, that has no control whatsoever over their day-to-day, their minute-to minute lives,” Rose said. “Just think for a minute about what that means for any human being, but what it means for parents, what it means for children who've grown up knowing nothing but this.”

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On Wednesday, Israel’s military notified Gaza City residents to get ready to depart.

“The evacuation of Gaza City is inevitable,” spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in Arabic on X. He mentioned that Israeli troops had identified many empty areas south of the city “to assist the evacuating residents as much as possible”, explaining that space for tents and essential infrastructure like aid and water distribution would be established.

The UN’s humanitarian office previously reported that more than 80 per cent of Gaza is either in an Israeli military zone or subject to evacuation orders.

Can you believe this... in 2025?#Peace #Gaza #Palestine pic.twitter.com/U0wmt9n8QN

— Yusuf / Cat Stevens (@YusufCatStevens) August 27, 2025

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Israel has mobilised tens of thousands of reservists for the next phase — over its own citizens’ objections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the military would proceed with its campaign to decimate Hamas while continuing efforts toward a ceasefire.

Hamas had said last week that it had accepted a ceasefire plan from Arab mediators. Qatar — which has rarely assigned blame throughout over a year of mediation — said on 26 August, Tuesday, that Israel still had not formally responded and “does not want to reach an agreement”.

Last week, a Qatari official described the proposal under consideration as “almost identical” to an earlier version advocated by US envoy Steve Witkoff and previously accepted by Israel.

The proposed deal includes a 60-day pause in the fighting; the release of some of the 50 hostages Hamas still holds, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners; increased humanitarian aid for Gaza; and a framework for permanent ceasefire negotiations.

A number of members in Netanyahu’s coalition oppose such stepwise agreements. But inside Israel, protests have grown, as relatives of hostages, freed former hostages and their supporters demand a truce — and many also want an end to the starvation of Palestine. The government and its hardline allies, however, insist that an expanded offensive is the best route to free hostages and stop Hamas from launching future attacks.

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In Washington, US secretary of state Marco Rubio was also expected to meet Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar today.

Steve Witkoff told Fox News on 26 August, Tuesday, that President Donald Trump had plans to chair a separate meeting with “a very comprehensive plan”, but specifics were not disclosed — and Trump’s schedule for Wednesday does not show the meeting.

Witkoff stated the official US position is that the hostages — Hamas’ key leverage — should be excluded from negotiations. Instead, he said, the talks should focus on the future of Gaza and the characterisation of Hamas.

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Hospitals in Gaza reported at least 10 deaths on 27 August, Wednesday, including fatalities near an aid distribution point in central Gaza and at a camp for displaced people in the south.

The Kuwait Specialized Field Hospital stated that an Israeli strike killed three people, including a child and a woman, and injured 21 more when it hit tents in Khan Younis overnight.

Three other Israeli strikes claimed at least six additional lives in Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital.

The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment on these strikes.

The ongoing offensive has resulted in 62,895 Palestinian deaths since the start of the conflict, per Gaza’s health ministry, which reports that about half of the victims are women and children. The agency doesn’t separate combatants from civilians in its statistics.

The health ministry also reported 10 more deaths due to malnutrition in the past day, bringing the total during the war to 313, including 119 children.

Though the ministry is managed by Hamas, it is staffed by medical professionals and recognised by the UN and independent observers as the most reliable source for casualty figures. Israel disputes these numbers but hasn’t issued alternatives.

This latest war on Palestine was triggered by the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, when the militants kidnapped 251 people and killed approximately 1,200, most of them civilians. While most captives have been released during truces or exchanges, Israel believes that of the 50 still in Gaza, only about 20 are alive.

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Sam Rose — who was personally present in Gaza from February 2024 to March 2025 — argued all international efforts should now focus on providing services and support to keep people in Palestine alive.

The UNRWA was feeding 1.2 million people a day in Gaza even before 7 October — and stands ready to take up the task again, despite having been outlawed by Israel, which has maintained control over the 'Palestinian territory’, as it insists the state of Palestine be called.

Rose said 6,000 trucks full of lifesaving aid including food, medicine, fuel and water have been stuck outside Gaza for months now due to Israeli “restrictions”.

“That's enough food to feed everyone, enough soap to give everyone, enough nappies, diapers,” Rose said.

Separately, the European commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, Hadja Lahbib, described “mountains” of aid sitting at the Gaza border. She also denounced the plan for the ramped-up military offensive in central Gaza or Gaza City.

The European Union's recent agreement with Israel to ramp up aid for Gaza has not worked out, Lahbib said, and pleaded for access: “Let us save lives.”

Children in #Gaza have already lost two school years.
They are about to lose a third year.

Instead of learning, children spend their time searching for water and food.

Children urgently need a #CeasefireNow so they can go back to learning and reconnect with whatever is left… pic.twitter.com/wzzzdKAvFP

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) August 21, 2025

Israel, which had blocked all aid into Gaza for 2.5 months earlier this year, asserts it has allowed ‘enough’ aid to enter during the war.

The UN, however, has said the amount of aid entering and reaching Palestinians remains far below the roughly 600 trucks a day that entered before the war.

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied there's starvation in Gaza, and his government called the recent famine declaration by international food security experts “an outright lie”.

The famine report earlier this month by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said nearly half a million people — about one-fourth of Gaza's population — face catastrophic hunger, with many at risk of dying from malnutrition-related causes.

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