Israel issued a stark warning on Wednesday for civilians to leave Gaza City, as heavy bombardments rattled the besieged enclave and Hamas weighed a US-backed peace proposal to end nearly two years of war.

“This is the last opportunity for Gaza residents who wish to do so to move south and leave Hamas operatives isolated in Gaza City,” Defence Minister Israel Katz declared on X, cautioning that those who stayed would “be considered terrorists and terrorist supporters.”

Katz announced that Israeli forces had secured the Netzarim corridor, effectively cutting northern Gaza off from the south, with those attempting to move now forced through military checkpoints.

Hours earlier, the army had sealed the last remaining route from southern Gaza into the north.

Inside Gaza City, residents described relentless strikes. “All areas are dangerous, the bombing is everywhere, and displacement is terrifying and humiliating,” said 60-year-old Rabah al-Halabi, who has been sheltering near Al-Shifa Hospital. “We are waiting for death, or perhaps relief from God, and for the truce to come.”

The civil defence agency in Gaza, run by Hamas, reported at least 46 deaths on Wednesday from Israeli strikes, including 36 in Gaza City. One strike hit a school-turned-shelter, killing eight, according to local authorities.

The Israeli military confirmed targeting a Hamas operative at the site, saying “steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians as much as possible.”

Humanitarian groups have begun suspending operations in Gaza City amid intensifying combat. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had paused activities, following Doctors Without Borders earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, Hamas is considering a 20-point peace plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump and backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The deal calls for a ceasefire, hostage releases within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament, and a phased Israeli withdrawal.

A Palestinian source close to Hamas leaders told AFP no decision had been made yet: “The movement will likely need two to three days. Hamas wants international guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal and rejects the disarmament and expulsion clauses.”

Trump has given Hamas “three or four days” to respond, warning the group would “pay in hell” if it refused.

Analysts say Hamas is divided: some leaders favour swift acceptance to secure a ceasefire, while others demand amendments to preserve the group’s armed presence.

Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,219 people in Israel, the retaliatory offensive has claimed 66,148 lives in Gaza, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory, with the UN noting more than half of the dead are women and children.