By Melanie Wilcox
Israeli forces escalated their assault on Gaza City over the weekend, with airstrikes and ground shelling destroying homes and forcing more civilians to flee, according to Reuters.
The escalation comes ahead of a planned meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet to discuss a proposal to seize control of the city, Reuters reported.
Residents in Sheikh Radwan, one of Gaza City’s largest neighborhoods, told Reuters that Israeli tanks and aircraft shelled the area continuously since Saturday. “They are crawling into the heart of the city… while bombing those areas from the air and ground to scare people to leave,” said Rezik Salah, a local father of two.
The Israeli military declared the city a “dangerous combat zone” on Friday, ending temporary pauses that allowed for limited aid deliveries over the past several weeks, as reported by Reuters.
Gaza health officials told Reuters that at least 30 people were killed on Sunday, including 13 near a central Gaza aid site. Israel’s military said it was not aware of any casualties near humanitarian distribution points.
Additionally, Gaza authorities said a separate airstrike killed 15 people — including five children — in a residential building in central Gaza City, according to Reuters.
Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli forces targeted Abu Ubaida, the longtime spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Ubaida was killed.
Hamas officials declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. (RELATED: ‘This Is The Grave I Think I’m Going To Be Buried In’: Hamas Releases Video Of Emaciated Hostage)
Netanyahu’s cabinet is expected to meet Sunday evening to decide on the next phase of the offensive. A full-scale ground operation is not expected for weeks as Israel seeks to evacuate civilians from the area before advancing further, Reuters reported.
