Palestinians in northern Gaza reported severe air and artillery strikes early on Monday as Israeli troops backed by tanks pressed into the enclave with a ground assault that lured increased global calls for the safety of civilians.
Palestinian media reported, that Israeli air strikes struck areas near Gaza City’s 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 enclave’s south.
There was no remark from Hamas or the Israeli military on the combat early on Monday. Reuters was not capable of confirming the reports.
The bombardments came hours after Israel released photos of battle tanks on the Palestinian enclave’s western coast, signaling a possible measure to encircle Gaza’s main city two days after the Israeli government ordered expanded ground invasions across its eastern border.
Some photos posted online also seemed to show Israeli combatants waving an Israeli flag deep inside Gaza. Reuters could not confirm the photos.
Israel’s self-declared “second phase” of a three-week battle against the Iranian-backed Hamas group has largely been kept from public view, with forces moving under darkness and a telecommunications blackout cutting off Palestinians.
The phone and internet cuts seemed to ease on Sunday, but telecoms provider Paltel said that Israeli air strikes again had knocked out internet and phone service in parts of the enclave’s northern sections. The outages have severely hindered rescue operations for casualties of Israeli barrages.
Israel has blamed Hamas for locating command centers and other military infrastructure in Gaza hospitals, something the group rejects.
Palestinian officials said about 50,000 people had also carried shelter in Shifa Hospital, adding that they were concerned about ongoing Israeli threats to the facility.
Israel has tightened its blockade and bombarded Gaza since Hamas gunmen stormed across the border into Israel on October 7. Israeli authorities say the group killed some 1,400 people and took at least 239 hostages.
