GAZA CITY, Sept 17 – 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 earlier on Wednesday, told the BBC: “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, and is intersected by al-Jalaa Street, a vital artery linking central Gaza City with its northern districts.
Locals say Israeli control of the neighbourhood could open the way for forces to advance deeper into the city and reach its central areas.
The images of tanks in Gaza City’s streets have caused widespread panic among residents, particularly those still living in the western and central parts of the city.
Witnesses said the sight of tanks approaching their homes revived memories of previous incursions, that ended with entire neighbourhoods being flattened.
The incursion into Sheikh Radwan has triggered yet another wave of displacement, with thousands of families fleeing south.
Long lines of cars and carts loaded with belongings were seen on the roads, as the Israeli army opened a route to the south via the Salahedin Road. Residents reported journeys taking hours and costing hundreds of shekels due to the scarcity of transport and soaring prices.
