Israel steps up bombing of Gaza City leading to global outcry

The Israeli military is preparing to seize Gaza City, the territory's largest urban center, despite international calls to desist over fears that a ground offensive would cause significant casualties and displace the roughly one million Palestinians sheltering there.

Israeli forces killed at least 16 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday and wounded dozens in the south of the enclave, local medics told Reuters. Thursday's deaths took to 71 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours, Gaza's health ministry said.

In Gaza City, residents said families were fleeing their homes, with most heading towards the coast, as Israeli forces shelled the eastern suburbs of Shuja'iyya, Zeitoun and Sabra. 

A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross said 31 patients, most with gunshot wounds, were admitted to the Red Cross Field Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Four of them were declared dead on arrival.

UN humanitarians warn of consequences over Israeli plan to seize Gaza

The consequences of the announced Israeli plan to take over Gaza City would be "beyond catastrophic," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Thursday.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters ahead of a Security Council meeting: "Israel's initial steps to militarily take over Gaza City signal a new and dangerous phase. Hundreds of thousands of civilians, already exhausted and traumatized, would be forced to flee yet again, plunging families into even deeper peril. This must stop."

World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain called for faster approvals to move supplies into and within Gaza, for the safety of people to reach aid and for humanitarian workers to reach those in need.

European countries urge EU to toughen stance on Israel

European countries, including the Netherlands, Sweden and Slovenia, have called on the European Union (EU) to increase pressure on Israel and take stronger action regarding the Gaza situation.

In a letter dated August 27 to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Dutch Foreign Minister Ruben Brekelmans and his Swedish counterpart Maria Malmer Stenergard said "more needs to be done to ramp up pressure on the Israeli government to change its course and to meet its obligations according to international law."

On Thursday, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said Europe risked losing global influence if it failed to adjust its approach.

As of today, Israel has not responded publicly to Hamas' acceptance of a proposal for a ceasefire that would allow for the return of some of the hostages. Israeli officials have, however, insisted that they would only accept a deal that sees all of the hostages released and the surrender of Hamas, Reuters reported.

(With input from Xinhua News Agency and Reuters)