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An intensification of battling between Israeli forces and Palestinian sources in the besieged Gaza Strip has been reported, as Israeli tanks briefly reached the outskirts of Gaza City. This escalation in the ongoing strife comes as Israel ramps up its air and ground offensive, according to Al Jazeera.
On Monday, Palestinian sources quoted that Israeli tanks made a brief incursion towards Salah al-Din Street, a central point in the Gaza City governorate, around 3km from the Gaza fence. Heavy conflicts were reported to ensue in the area.
Zaytun district, the southern division of the Palestinian territory's main city, experienced the temporary presence of tanks. These tanks effectively divided a vital road from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip for more than an hour, as reported by AFP news journalists who were contacted by phone from Southern Gaza.
Salama Maarouf, the head of the Hamas government office in Gaza, later clarified on Monday that Israeli tanks had since retreated from the outskirts of Gaza City. There was no ground advancement further into the residential regions in the Gaza Strip, he added.
In response to the October 7 Hamas attacks, which Israeli officials claim caused the death of 1,400 people (mostly civilians) and captured another 239 people, Israeli forces have significantly amped up their ground offensive since Friday.
The Gaza health ministry reports that over 8,000 people, primarily civilians and children, have been perished due to these escalating Israeli attacks.
The Israeli army stated on Monday that in the course of a day, more than 600 targets have been attacked, compared to 450 the previous day. The escalating conflict reflects an active mission to "destroy" Hamas, with no clear safe routes for civilians to evacuate.
Despite the mass exodus of people in recent weeks, it's believed that tens of thousands are still in the zone affected severely by this conflict.