Israel occupies more areas of Gaza City, displacing 350,000 Palestinians

Israeli forces have pushed deeper into Gaza City, with tanks and military vehicles advancing into new neighborhoods northwest of the largest city in the besieged Palestinian enclave. Although 350,000 Palestinians were able to flee in the face of this Israeli ground offensive, more than 650,000 remain trapped.

Witnesses said that since early Thursday (September 18), Israeli tanks had penetrated several hundred meters into the Al-Saftawi neighborhood and the end of Jala Street. Vehicles carrying heavy equipment, including bulldozers, also conducted raids around the Karameh Tower neighborhood and Mukhabarat district. At the same time, soldiers carried out attacks throughout Gaza, killing at least 29 more people, 19 of whom were residents of Gaza City.

This coordinated operation, dubbed "Gideon's Chariot 2," has been underway since September 3 after the Israeli Security Cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City on August 8. The UN Commission of Inquiry has called this massive attack by Israeli forces a genocide.

Nearly two years after the war began on October 7, 2023, 65,141 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and at least 165,925 have been injured. In addition, 432 people have died from Israeli-induced famine and malnutrition, 146 of whom are children.