Local residents and eyewitnesses say dozens of Israeli tanks and military vehicles have pushed into a major residential district of Gaza City, on the second day of Israel's ground offensive aimed at occupying the area.
Video footage shows tanks, bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers moving on the edges of Sheikh Radwan, in northern Gaza City. Thick clouds of smoke can be seen as Israeli forces fire artillery shells and smoke bombs to cover their advance.
The Sheikh Radwan district was home to tens of thousands of people before the war and is considered one of the city's most densely populated areas.
Israel says the aim of its Gaza City offensive is to free hostages held by Hamas and defeat up to 3,000 fighters in what it describes as the group's last stronghold - but the operation has drawn widespread international condemnation.
The leaders of more than 20 major aid agencies, including Save the Children and Oxfam, warned that the inhumanity of the situation in Gaza is unconscionable. Residents in Sheikh Radwan said Wednesday's incursion followed a wave of heavy airstrikes targeting buildings and main streets across the neighbourhood, in what appeared to be preparation for the ground assault.
Saad Hamada, a local resident who fled south with his family, stated, The drones didn't leave anything. They hit solar panels, power generators, water tanks, even the internet network. Life became impossible, and that is what forced most people to leave despite the danger.
Sheikh Radwan includes the areas of Abu Iskandar, al-Tawam, and al-Saftawi, intersected by al-Jalaa Street, a vital artery linking central Gaza City with its northern districts. Locals worry that Israeli control of the neighbourhood could open the way for deeper advances into the city.
Before the war, Sheikh Radwan was one of Gaza City's busiest districts, home to schools, mosques, and marketplaces. Its capture by Israeli forces represents a significant escalation in the war.
