Explosions, air strikes, and gunfire continued to shake northern Gaza on Saturday, marking the third day of an intense Israeli military operation.
This escalation has forced tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee and worsened what the UN has labeled as “unbearable” living conditions in the region.
Reports from the Shujaiya area near Gaza City indicated ongoing explosions, with bodies visible on the streets, according to an AFP correspondent and local residents.
Armed factions from both Hamas and the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad reported that their forces were actively engaged in combat with Israeli troops in the area.
The Israeli military confirmed operations in Shujaiya, stating that fighting “above and below the ground” had resulted in numerous militant casualties.
The Israeli forces reported the elimination of “dozens of terrorists” and the seizure of weapons, drones, observation posts, a long-range rocket launcher, and tunnel shafts.
This resurgence in violence comes after Israel’s earlier declaration of dismantling the command structure of Hamas militants in northern Gaza.
Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement last Sunday about the “intense phase” of the war winding down after nearly nine months, experts predict a potentially prolonged conflict.
The conflict has also heightened tensions on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Iran issued a warning of an “obliterating” war if Israel were to attack Lebanon.
The war, which began with Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Hostages were also taken, with 116 still held in Gaza, though the Israeli army claims 42 of these hostages have died.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has resulted in at least 37,834 deaths, predominantly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Mohammed Harara, 30, recounted how he and his family fled their home in Shujaiya empty-handed amid the bombardment by Israeli forces. “We couldn’t carry anything from the house. We left the food, flour, canned goods, mattresses, and blankets,” he said.
The United Nations estimates that around 60,000 to 80,000 people were displaced from the Shujaiya area this week. AFPTV footage showed people moving their belongings on donkey carts, being pushed in wheelchairs, and children with backpacks navigating through debris-laden streets.
In other areas, such as Rafah, witnesses reported further casualties following new Israeli incursions. Gaza’s civil defense agency reported four bodies retrieved from an apartment hit by an Israeli strike in the central region.
Tarek Qandeel, director of the medical center in Al-Maghazi, central Gaza, stated that the facility was severely damaged by a neighboring house’s bombing. The United Nations reported that about 70% of Gaza’s health infrastructure has been destroyed.
UN spokeswoman Louise Wateridge, recently returned to central Gaza after four weeks, described the situation as “unbearable” with no water, sanitation, or food, and people living in “empty shells” of buildings without proper bathroom facilities.
The conflict has also caused displacements along the Israel-Lebanon border, where Hezbollah and Israeli forces have engaged in frequent exchanges of fire. Iran has warned that any Israeli attack on Lebanon could lead to a regional “obliterating” war involving all Iran-backed groups, including Yemen’s Huthi rebels.
The US Navy has recently retaliated against Huthi targets in Yemen following their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, highlighting the broader regional implications of the Gaza conflict.
