The situation in Gaza City took a dramatic turn on Monday as Israeli tanks advanced into the outskirts of the city, intensifying its conflict with Hamas.
Witnesses on the ground reported this significant development as Israel claimed to have eliminated dozens of Hamas members in a relentless campaign that has already seen over 600 targets hit in the past 24 hours.
A military spokesperson, providing an update on the escalating conflict, stated, "We have hit more than 600 targets in the past 24 hours," marking an increase from the 450 strikes conducted the previous day.
Concurrently, Hamas forces reported "heavy fighting" in northern Gaza, underscoring the intensity of the ongoing clashes.
The most striking development was the arrival of "dozens" of Israeli tanks in the Zaytun district, located on the southern fringes of Gaza City.
These tanks have effectively severed the crucial Salahedin road that connects the northern and southern regions of the embattled Palestinian territory.
Witnesses on the ground have described a dire situation, with residents reporting that Israeli forces are actively targeting any vehicles attempting to traverse this road.
Zaytun, situated on the southern edge of Gaza City, is the city's largest district, home to over 130,000 people during peaceful times.
However, the area where the tanks have been deployed is relatively sparsely populated, which is a small comfort amid a conflict that has already seen the destruction of numerous buildings and infrastructure.
Reports indicate that Israeli strikes have demolished several buildings west of the Salahedin road in recent days.
Israeli airstrikes have also exacted a heavy toll on Gaza City's infrastructure.
At least 10 high-rise buildings in the Tal al-Hawwa district in the city's southwest have been reduced to rubble.
Among the casualties of the airstrikes is a Turkish-funded cancer treatment hospital in the same area, as reported by its director, Sobhi Skeik.
The situation has prompted Israel to repeatedly warn the approximately 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza, including those in Gaza City, to relocate southward to evade potential military operations.
While many have heeded this advice and left the area in recent weeks, tens of thousands are believed to remain within the zone, facing the grim realities of a conflict zone.
Israeli forces have significantly escalated their ground offensive since Friday, a response to the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion.
Israeli officials claim that these attacks resulted in the loss of 1,400 lives, the majority of whom were civilians, along with 239 individuals taken as hostages.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-governed Gaza reports a devastating toll of over 8,000 casualties, with a majority being civilians and over half of them children, due to Israeli airstrikes and ground operations.
The Israeli army announced that "dozens" of Hamas members were killed in overnight clashes, revealing that these militants had taken refuge inside buildings and tunnels while attempting to engage Israeli troops.
Israeli fighter jets carried out precise strikes, targeting buildings with multiple Hamas operatives inside as well as anti-tank missile launch sites in the vicinity of Al-Azhar University, situated in the heart of Gaza City.
The Israeli military also reported successful hits on "weapons depots, dozens of anti-tank missile launching positions, as well as hideouts and staging grounds used by the Hamas terrorist organization."
The conflict shows no signs of abating, and the toll on the civilian population and infrastructure remains a matter of deep concern.
