Gaza City (EFE).- The Israel Defense Forces launched a series of intense airstrikes against Gaza City on Monday night in preparation for a ground invasion of the Gazan capital, as confirmed by EFE and reported by local sources.
The city, which is besieged and under evacuation orders, is being heavily attacked by Israeli forces using helicopters, drones, and explosive-laden robots, while their troops are gaining ground in different areas on the city’s outskirts, especially in the northwest.
According to the sources, Israeli tanks are advancing and retreating in that area to slowly gain ground, although it is unclear if they have crossed the city limits.
The Israeli newspaper Times of Israel reported that “the military has carried out hundreds of strikes in Gaza City, including against tall buildings, ahead of a looming offensive against Hamas in the area,” and Haaretz stated that “thousands flee Gaza City as IDF conducts extensive strikes.”
Since Israel announced its plans to invade and occupy Gaza City, bombings have increased in the Gaza capital, with dozens of people dying there every day. There have also been demolitions and the destruction of all types of infrastructure.
On Sunday, the IDF demolished at least five tall towers in the city and did the same with a sixth on Monday. In addition, the armed forces have destroyed dozens of buildings in the capital since Israel announced its intention to invade the entire city in mid-August.
Last week, the Israeli army declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone,” and urged residents to move to the newly announced “humanitarian zone” near Khan Yunis, despite it already being overcrowded with displaced people.
According to the latest figures from the IDF, it is estimated that at least 650,000 people remain in the city out of the approximately 1 million that lived there in mid-August, when Israel announced its intention to invade. EFE
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