Israeli tanks push into major Gaza City residential area as ground offensive widens
Tanks and armored vehicles moved into the Sheikh Radwan district of Gaza City on the second day of Israel’s ground operation, as civilians flee and aid groups warn of a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Israeli tanks and armored vehicles pushed into the Sheikh Radwan district of Gaza City on the second day of Israel's ground offensive aimed at occupying the area, witnesses and residents said. Video footage showed tanks, bulldozers and armored personnel carriers moving along the district's edges as artillery shells and smoke bombs covered the advance. The Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, home to tens of thousands before the war, is among the city's most densely populated areas. Israel says the operation aims to free hostages and defeat up to 3,000 fighters in what it calls Hamas's last stronghold, a claim that has drawn widespread international condemnation. Aid groups, UN agencies and others have warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is unconscionable and deeply perilous for civilians.
Heavy airstrikes targeted buildings and main streets in Sheikh Radwan in what residents described as preparation for the ground assault. Saad Hamada, a local resident who fled south with his family, told the BBC that the drones hit solar panels, power generators, water tanks and even the internet network, leaving life almost impossible and prompting many to flee despite the danger.
The incursion triggered another wave of displacement, with thousands of families fleeing south toward safer areas. Long lines of cars and carts could be seen on the roads, and residents reported that evacuations along Salahedin Road slowed traffic and sent prices for basic transport skyward. The IDF said on Tuesday that around 350,000 people had fled Gaza City, while the UN put the figure at about 190,000 since August. Estimates suggest at least 650,000 people remain in Gaza City and its surroundings. Sheikh Radwan includes the areas of Abu Iskandar, al-Tawam and al-Saftawi, and is intersected by al-Jalaa Street, a vital artery linking central Gaza City with its northern districts.
The Sheikh Radwan area has already suffered massive damage in the war. Before the war it was one of Gaza City's busiest districts, with schools, mosques and markets, and it has been repeatedly struck by air raids in recent months. Israel says the ground push marks a new phase in the operation and has conducted strikes on more than 150 targets across Gaza City in two days in support of ground troops. Israeli media have reported the use of modified older military vehicles loaded with explosives driven and detonated near Hamas positions. Resident Nidal al-Sherbi told BBC Arabic that last night was extremely difficult, with continuous explosions and shelling from night into dawn, and that troops advanced from Sheikh Radwan, Tal al-Hawa and Shejaiya.
Aid groups, UN agencies and others say the so-called humanitarian area to which people are being told to move is heavily overcrowded and unlikely to accommodate the two million Palestinians who may try to reach it. Some evacuees have found no space to pitch tents and have returned north. The UN and Israel have offered conflicting figures on displacement; Israel says about 350,000 fled Gaza City, the UN reports about 190,000 since August. Analysts say that while some may have moved into the south, the number remaining in Gaza City and its outskirts is likely well into the hundreds of thousands. The broader conflict began after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, and has left tens of thousands dead in Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, including at least 98 killed and 385 injured in the last 24 hours. It also reported 154 malnutrition-related deaths since a UN-backed body declared famine in Gaza City in late August. The UN has warned that an intensification of the offensive could push civilians into an even deeper catastrophe. A UN commission of inquiry last week said Israel has committed genocide in Gaza; Israel rejected the report as distorted and false.
With the war entering its second year, aid agencies warn that civilians are paying the highest price. The broader context remains a long-running conflict with no immediate path to a durable ceasefire, even as international actors stress the urgency of humanitarian relief, safe passages for civilians and mechanisms to protect civilians in populated areas. In Gaza, authorities warn that the humanitarian corridor planned to accommodate displaced residents is already overwhelmed, underscoring warnings from the UN about a looming catastrophe if the fighting intensifies. The conflict continues to draw global attention as the world watches for any shift toward de-escalation while civilians bear the brunt of ongoing hostilities.
