Heavy fighting reported as tanks push into Jabaliya in northern Gaza

Israeli tanks, under cover of heavy fire from air and ground, have pushed further into Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, residents and Hamas media say.

Tanks are advancing toward the heart of the camp, the biggest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps, locals say. Residents say tank shells landed at the center of the camp and that airstrikes destroyed clusters of houses.

The military yesterday said it had launched a new offensive against Hamas in Jabaliya, after identifying terror operatives regrouping there.

A day earlier, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for Jabaliya, where it estimated 100,000-150,000 Palestinians were sheltering.

Residents and medics claim several people were killed and wounded in a series of airstrikes on the camp overnight. The death tolls reported by Hamas officials are unable to be verified.

In Rafah, near the border with Egypt, residents report heavy shelling and airstrikes on the eastern part of the city.

The IDF has been operating in the eastern part of Rafah since last week.