Israeli army expands ground offensive in Gaza city

GAZA -- The Israeli army on Friday intensified ground operations in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza city with heavy shelling, causing multiple casualties and mass displacement, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

Speaking to Xinhua, local eyewitnesses said Israeli tanks advanced into eastern Shuja'iyya amid airstrikes that targeted the densely populated neighborhood and left many people dead and wounded.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, confirmed that the escalating offensive resulted in numerous casualties, adding rescue teams were unable to reach many of the injured due to the intensity of the bombardment.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced in a press statement that its forces were "expanding operations in Shuja'iyya to enhance security," claiming that the offensive had eliminated several militants and destroyed military sites, including a Hamas command center.

The army added that designated evacuation corridors had been set up for civilians, although military operations were ongoing.

The escalation has led to a new wave of displacement, with thousands of families leaving their homes for safer areas. "Explosions continued throughout the night, forcing families to flee in panic," Adli Mansour, a local resident, told Xinhua.

"Without warning, we had to choose between staying under bombardment or fleeing to an unknown fate," said Ibrahim Hathat, another resident. "The explosions were deafening, the sky lit up with fire, and we thought we wouldn't survive the night," he recalled.

At least 1,249 Palestinians were killed and 3,022 others injured since Israel resumed strikes on March 18 across the Gaza Strip, local health authorities reported Friday, adding that the death toll since the very beginning of the war in October 2023 has risen to 50,609, with 115,063 injured.