Israeli Tanks Push Deeper into Gaza City Amid Escalating Ground Offensive

Dozens of Israeli tanks and military vehicles have entered the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City as Israel’s ground offensive intensifies, BBC reported.

Eyewitnesses and video footage show tanks, bulldozers, and armored carriers advancing into the densely populated district under cover of artillery fire and smoke bombs. The incursion, which follows days of heavy airstrikes, has triggered mass displacement, with thousands of families fleeing south via Salahedin Road.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has targeted more than 150 sites in Gaza City over two days to support its troops, while local residents described a night of relentless bombardment. Aid agencies, including Save the Children and Oxfam, have condemned the assault, warning that the humanitarian crisis has become “unconscionable.”

Before the war, Sheikh Radwan was home to tens of thousands of people and served as one of Gaza City’s busiest residential hubs. Now, widespread destruction and the presence of tanks on its streets mark what many fear is a new and dangerous phase in Israel’s offensive.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 65,000 people, nearly half of them women and children, have been killed since Israel launched its war in response to the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023. The UN has warned that further escalation will plunge civilians into “even deeper catastrophe.”