Israel Launches Heaviest Strikes In Weeks On Gaza As Netanyahu Signals Expanded Offensive
Residents in Gaza reported intense shelling and airstrikes in the eastern neighbourhoods of Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia.
Israel on Monday launched some of the heaviest air and ground attacks in weeks on Gaza City on, just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new, expanded military offensive in the enclave 'fairly quickly."
Residents in Gaza reported intense shelling and airstrikes in the eastern neighbourhoods of Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia.
Witnesses said Israeli tanks and warplanes pounded the densely populated areas through the night, forcing hundreds of families to flee their homes and move further west.
According to Hamas, around one million displaced people are now sheltering in Gaza City, many of them pushed out of northern areas by previous Israeli operations.
The Israeli military confirmed it had targeted Hamas militants in the area and said artillery units had dismantled a rocket launch site east of Gaza City. However, there was no immediate ground advance, despite Netanyahu's comments suggesting a broader push was imminent.
Speaking on Sunday, Netanyahu said he had instructed the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to accelerate preparations for a new phase of the war focused on Gaza City, which he called the 'capital of terrorism." He also indicated that central Gaza could be the next target, claiming Hamas fighters had regrouped there.
Six Journalists Killed In Hospital Strike
In one of the deadliest incidents for journalists during the conflict, an Israeli airstrike hit a tent inside the Al Shifa Hospital compound, killing six reporters, including well-known Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif.
Israeli forces confirmed the strike and claimed Al Sharif was a Hamas member involved in rocket attacks. Al Jazeera and Al Sharif's family strongly denied the allegations, with the journalist himself publicly refuting such claims before his death.
'The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain pave the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City," said Hamas in a statement.
The Hamas-run Gaza Government Media Office said 238 journalists have been killed since the war began, while the Committee to Protect Journalists puts the toll at 186.
The conflict began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israeli officials say about 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with only around 20 believed to be alive.
Since then, Gaza's Health Ministry reports that more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign. The region remains in the grip of a deep humanitarian crisis, with much of Gaza reduced to rubble and its population repeatedly displaced.
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