Israeli tanks spotted on the outskirts of Gaza: an important highway was cut

Israeli troops have advanced more than two miles (3.2 km) into Gaza as part of their expanding ground operation, according to an analysis by US channel CNN. The basis for these conclusions was a video filmed on Saturday and published by the military, which shows how soldiers hang the Israeli flag on a roof in the Palestinian sector. These conclusions are confirmed by Al-Jazeera journalists, who report that Al-Jazeera reports that Israeli troops have reached the Salah al-Din highway on the outskirts of Gaza City, about 3 km from the strip border.

Israeli armored forces and infantry began operating inside Gaza on Friday evening in what Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called a “new phase” of the war against Hamas, sparked by the deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.

Israeli troops have made several smaller ground incursions into Gaza before, but this marks their longest presence in the territory since the latest outbreak of violence.

A CNN crew in the Israeli city of Sderot, located near the Gaza Strip’s perimeter, heard machine gun fire coming from the northern part of the enclave at regular intervals on Sunday as the IDF continued to fire artillery and mortars. IDF tanks and armored personnel carriers were also seen approaching the border, while helicopters, drones and fighter jets flew overhead.

Israel said Sunday its ground operation in Gaza would intensify after weeks of air strikes on Hamas-controlled territory. At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu warned his compatriots that the war would be long and difficult.

Dramatic CCTV footage released by the Israel Defense Forces showed tanks and bulldozers storming the northern Palestinian enclave, with military commanders saying ground forces killed several terrorists in intense clashes, the Daily Mail reported.

“IDF fighters operating near the Erez checkpoint identified several terrorists who had emerged from a tunnel shaft in the Gaza Strip. After identification, the fighters engaged them, killing several terrorists and wounding others. At the same time, several other battles took place, during which the terrorists were eliminated,” the Israeli military said in a statement on Platform X (formerly Twitter).

The Israeli air force says it has attacked about 600 targets in the past 24 hours, including in the area of ​​Al-Azhar State University near the center of Gaza City, from where it says an anti-tank missile was about to be launched. The military statement also said that the targets were “weapon depots, hiding places and concentrations of Hamas militants, as well as anti-tank positions.”

For its part, Hamas’s armed wing said: “Our fighters are currently engaged in heavy fighting with machine guns and anti-tank weapons against invading occupation forces in northwestern Gaza.”

Palestinian militants are engaging in battle with Israeli troops who are trying to enter Gaza City, Al Jazeera reported on Monday. The Israeli army managed to partially cut off Gaza City and separate the north of the strip from the south. The developments indicate that Israeli forces intend to expand their ground attacks in an attempt to completely isolate Gaza.

Eyewitnesses told the AFP news agency that Israeli tanks were on the outskirts of Gaza City, cutting off the key Salah al-Din road connecting the northern and southern parts of the war-torn Palestinian territory.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said earlier that the military was “making progress at this stage of the war as planned” and expanding ground operations, adding that at least 331 Israeli soldiers had been killed and 32 captured since fighting began on October 7.

The unfolding IDF ground offensive comes as the US warned Israel that it must distinguish between Hamas militants and civilians in Palestinian territory. The White House urged caution ahead of a call between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The IDF, the Israeli government, must use every possible means available to them to distinguish between Hamas terrorists, who are legitimate military targets, and civilians, who are not,” US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement. -CNN show “State of the Union”.

At the same time, Sullivan accused Hamas of using civilians as “human shields” and placing missiles and other “terrorist infrastructure” in civilian areas.

The national security adviser also said U.S. officials are working to help secure the release of more than 220 Israeli hostages held by militants in Gaza, as well as help hundreds of Palestinian Americans stuck in Gaza.