The Israeli army on Tuesday deployed armored vehicles packed with explosives into Gaza City amid heavy bombardment, according to local media.
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that old M113 armored personnel carriers, filled with large amounts of explosives, were remotely driven into the city to detonate in residential areas. Strong blasts were heard overnight and into the morning in central and southern Gaza.
The report said the operation to occupy Gaza City is being carried out in stages, with heavy firepower supporting ground troops.
“Gaza is burning and the army is striking with an iron fist,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday.
Witnesses told Anadolu Agency that Israeli forces also demolished two multi-story residential towers. The Al-Tawfiq building in the Al-Nasr district and another belonging to the Halaweh family in the Shati refugee camp were destroyed, displacing dozens of families who had already been living in temporary shelters.
Residents reported that more apartment blocks received warnings of imminent destruction, causing panic across the city.
The escalation followed a night of intense airstrikes, artillery shelling, and the use of booby-trapped robots to demolish homes in northwestern Gaza City. Health officials said at least 35 people were killed overnight, with many more injured or missing under the rubble.
Israel launched Operation Gideon Chariots 2 earlier this month, aimed at taking full control of Gaza City. Nearly one million Palestinians, most displaced from other parts of Gaza, remain trapped under continuous bombardment.
According to Gaza health authorities, almost 65,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed since October 2023. The prolonged bombardment has devastated living conditions, leaving the enclave uninhabitable and contributing to famine and disease outbreaks.