Israeli army expands ground offensive in northern Gaza

ISTANBUL

The Israeli army announced on Friday morning the expansion of its ground offensive in northern Gaza, specifically in the Shujaiya neighborhood, as part of its ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed that Israeli forces began their offensive in the Shujaiya area, alleging to have destroyed several pieces of infrastructure, including a "command and control complex used by Hamas to plan and coordinate its activities.”

The army also asserted that the civilian population in the area was “evacuated via designated routes.”

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the Israeli army has begun "an incursion east of the Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City, amid heavy fire coverage."

Since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has been forcing residents of the areas it invades to evacuate, sending evacuation warnings followed by the establishment of fire zones around the targeted areas to pressure the residents and force them into displacement.

The Israeli army has left no safe place for Palestinians in Gaza, as airstrikes continue throughout the entire strip. The most recent attack took place on Thursday, with airstrikes targeting Dar Al-Arqam School in the eastern part of Gaza City, despite the school sheltering displaced persons.

The bombing of the school killed 31 displaced individuals and injured about 100 others, including children, women, and the elderly, according to official statistics.

The Israeli army claimed to have attacked a "Hamas command complex" by bombing the school, but the Gaza government denied it, confirming that the attack targeted civilian displaced persons.

Under the rules of war, targeting civilian facilities can constitute a war crime.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Sunday to escalate attacks on Gaza as efforts are underway to implement US President Donald Trump's plan to displace Palestinians from the enclave.

More than 50,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in Israel's military onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.