Gaza City

The Israeli army reported night fighting and intense airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. Gaza City was previously declared under complete siege as part of the military operation against Hamas, which began after the October 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,400 people.

According to the Palestinian side, the victims of the Israeli attacks exceed 9 thousand people.

Israeli ground troops encircled Hamas stronghold Gaza City on Friday, after close ally the United States urged "concrete steps" to minimise civilian casualties.

Ahead of top US diplomat Antony Blinken's scheduled visit to Israel Friday, the country's military said it had "completed the encirclement" of Gaza's largest city -- signalling a new phase in the month-long war against Hamas.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has reached a tragic milestone, with over 9,000 lives lost on the Palestinian side since the conflict's inception, according to reports from the Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has made a significant advance into Gaza City, according to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. In a statement made on Thursday, Halevi revealed that Israeli troops are operating inside Gaza City and surrounding it from various directions, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing conflict.

An Israeli general claims that the country's troops are close to Gaza City.
The Palestinian Authority announced that the city's maternity hospital was shelled.

Destroyed buildings in Gaza

A barrage of Israeli airstrikes leveled apartment buildings in a refugee camp near Gaza City on Tuesday, with rescuers clawing through the destruction to pull men, women and children from the rubble. Israel said the strike, which targeted a senior Hamas military leader, destroyed a militant command center and an underground tunnel network.

In an alarming turn of events, Israel is now under attack not only from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon but also from Yemen. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported this morning that they had identified an "air target" approaching Israeli territory near the southern resort town of Eilat.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu categorically ruled out a ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas Monday, as ground forces pushed into Gaza and freed one hostage.

"Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism," Netanyahu said, slapping aside demands from UN agencies for a truce.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) tanks on Monday reached a strategic intersection on the main road in Gaza City, Israel-based i24 News reported.

The tanks were spotted on the Salah al Din thoroughfare which connects Gaza City in the north to Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes early Sunday near Gaza's largest hospital, which is packed with patients and tens of thousands of Palestinians seeking shelter, residents said. Israel has said Gaza's militant Hamas rulers have a command post under the hospital, without providing much evidence.