The Israeli army said on Monday that it “continued” to increase the scope of its ground operations in the Gaza Strip, attacking over 600 Hamas targets.
It claimed that during battles with Israeli forces, “dozens” of Hamas fighters who were holed up inside structures perished, Al Jazeera reported.
Additionally, Israeli forces targeted the vicinity of the northern Strip’s Al-Azhar University, where there was reportedly an impending launch of an anti-tank missile.
Palestinians in northern Gaza reported fierce air and artillery strikes early on Monday as Israeli troops backed by tanks pressed into the enclave with a ground assault that drew increased international calls for the protection of civilians.
Israeli air strikes hit areas near Gaza City’s Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals, and Hamas fighters clashed with Israeli forces in a border area east of the city of Khan Younis, in the enclave’s south, Palestinian media reported. The bombardments came hours after Israel released images of battle tanks on the Palestinian enclave’s western coast, signalling a potential effort to surround Gaza’s main city two days after the Israeli government ordered expanded ground incursions across its eastern border.
