Palestinians in Gaza reported fierce air and artillery strikes early on Monday as Israeli troops backed by tanks pressed into the enclave with a ground assault that prompted more international calls for civilians to be protected.
Israel’s military said it had struck over 600 militant targets over the past few days as it continued to expand ground operations in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian civilians are in dire need of fuel, food and clean water as the conflict enters its fourth week, Reuters reported.
“IDF troops killed dozens of terrorists who barricaded themselves in buildings and tunnels, and attempted to attack the troops,” the military said in a statement.
Israeli air strikes hit areas near Gaza’s Al-Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals, and Palestinian militants clashed with Israeli forces in a border area east of the city of Khan Younis in the south, Palestinian media said.
Medical officials in Gaza said at least 20 Palestinians had been killed and dozens wounded overnight as Israeli ground forces pushed into the coastal enclave from multiple directions.
Residents said they could hear shooting and explosions all night.Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their members were engaged in fighting with Israeli forces in Gaza as well as the West Bank city of Jenin.
Israel released images of battle tanks on the west coast of the enclave, signalling a potential effort to surround Gaza’s main city two days after the Israeli government ordered expanded ground incursions. Some pictures posted online also appeared to show Israeli soldiers waving an Israeli flag deep inside Gaza. Reuters could not verify the images.
Israel’s self-declared “second phase” of a three-week war against Iranian-backed Hamas militants has been largely kept from public view, with forces moving under darkness and a telecommunications blackout cutting off Palestinians.
The phone and internet cuts appeared to ease on Sunday, but telecoms provider Paltel said Israeli air strikes had again knocked out internet and phone service in parts of Gaza’s northern sections, where Hamas has command centres.
The outages have severely hampered rescue operations for casualties of the Israeli barrages.
The reported strikes near hospitals came after the Palestinian Red Crescent said on Sunday it had received warnings from Israeli authorities to immediately evacuate Al-Quds hospital, where some 14,000 people have sought shelter.
Israel has accused Hamas of locating command centres and other military infrastructure in Gaza hospitals, which the group denies.
Palestinian officials said about 50,000 people had also taken shelter in Al-Shifa Hospital, adding that they were concerned about Israeli threats to the facility.
Israel has tightened its blockade and bombardment of Gaza since Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel on Oct. 7. Israeli authorities say the militants killed some 1,400 people and took at least 239 hostages.
The military has also stepped up operations against Islamist groups in the West Bank, killing scores of Palestinians and arresting hundreds.
