🔗 Share this article

Eyewitnesses and observers state that numerous Israeli tanks and army vehicles have advanced into a significant residential area of Gaza City, representing the following day of Israel's military operation intended to taking control of the region.

Visual evidence depicts armored vehicles, bulldozers and military transports advancing on the outskirts of Sheikh Radwan, in the north of Gaza City. Dense plumes of smoke can be seen as Israeli forces discharge artillery shells and obscuring devices to cover their progress.

The Sheikh Radwan district was residence to tens of thousands of people prior to the war and is regarded one of the city's most densely populated zones.

Israel states that the goal of its Gaza City operation is to liberate captives held by Hamas and overcome up to 3,000 militants in what it labels as the group's "remaining fortress" - but the mission has elicited extensive international censure.

The leaders of over 20 major aid groups, such as Save the Children and Oxfam, warned that "the brutality of the situation in Gaza is unconscionable".

Inhabitants in Sheikh Radwan stated that Wednesday's entry followed a wave of severe airstrikes hitting structures and primary roads across the area, in what appeared to be preparation for the ground assault.

"Unmanned aircraft spared anything. They damaged solar panels, electricity sources, water tanks, even the communications system," Saad Hamada who fled south with his family earlier on Wednesday explained.

"Daily living turned unbearable, and that is what pushed most people to leave regardless of the danger."

Sheikh Radwan encompasses the areas of Abu Iskandar, al-Tawam, and al-Saftawi, and is crossed by al-Jalaa Street, a crucial corridor linking central Gaza City with its north neighborhoods.

Residents believe Israeli control of the area could pave the way for forces to move further into the city and access its core areas.

The footage of tanks in Gaza City's roads have provoked extensive alarm among inhabitants, especially those still living in the western and downtown sections of the city.

Witnesses said the presence of tanks moving near their homes revived reminders of prior incursions, that finished with entire neighborhoods being leveled.

The incursion into Sheikh Radwan has triggered yet another surge of displacement, with thousands of families escaping to southern areas.

Long lines of cars and carts packed with items were spotted on the roads, as the Israeli army opened a corridor to the south via the Salahedin Road. Residents described journeys requiring hours and costing large sums of shekels due to the lack of transport and soaring prices.

Before the hostilities, Sheikh Radwan was one of Gaza City's busiest neighborhoods, location to dozens of schools, mosques, and commercial areas.

It had already been struck frequently by air raids in the past few months, and there is broad destruction, but the sight of tanks inside the area now represents a notable new phase in Israel's land offensive.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday morning that it had hit more than 150 locations across Gaza City in two days in backing of its ground troops.

As part of its operations, the IDF is also reportedly using old military vehicles equipped with explosives that have been altered to be operated remotely. They are being driven to Hamas positions and exploded, according to Israeli media.

"Last night was incredibly difficult, with unceasing explosions and shelling that persisted from night until dawn," resident Nidal al-Sherbi stated.

"Israeli vehicles moved from Sheikh Radwan, Tal al-Hawa, and also from Shejaiya. It was a very, very alarming night."

Humanitarian organizations, UN agencies and others claim the "humanitarian area" people are expected to move to is severely overcrowded and inadequate to sustain the about two million Palestinians who are anticipated to occupy it.

Some who obeyed the military's orders to evacuate to the zone say they found no space to pitch their tents, so they retreated north.

"Each day leaflets are thrown at us ordering evacuation, while the Israeli army shells buildings in every direction," Munir Azzam reported. "But where can we go? We have no safe place in the south."

The IDF stated on Tuesday that around 350,000 people had evacuated Gaza City, while the UN put the figure at 190,000 since August. Projections suggest at least 650,000 remain.

Israel initiated its military campaign in Gaza in reaction to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

A minimum of 65,062 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since then, nearly half of them women and children, as reported by Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

It said on Wednesday that 98 people had been killed and 385 injured by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours. Another four people had died from malnutrition, taking the total number of malnutrition-related deaths since a UN-backed body declared famine in Gaza City in late August to 154, it added.

The UN has alerted that an increase of the offensive will push civilians into "worsening catastrophe".

On Tuesday, a UN commission of inquiry said Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel's foreign ministry rejected the report and denounced it as "inaccurate and false".