GAZA CITY, Palestine/ISTANBUL

 The Israeli army said Wednesday it has carried out more than 150 air and artillery strikes on Gaza City over the past two days, part of what it called an expanding ground offensive to occupy the enclave’s largest urban center.

Footage released by the army showed troops inside the city as commanders announced the start of a new phase of its ongoing assault on Tuesday. Yet eyewitnesses and local sources told Anadolu there has been no broad incursion, only intensified shelling, drone fire and remote-controlled explosives that forced thousands of residents to flee.

Military officials said the 98th and 162nd divisions are “deepening their maneuver” under Operation Gideon’s Chariots 2. They warned the push into Gaza City could last for months.

At the same time, Palestinian telecommunications provider Paltel confirmed a blackout of fixed internet and landline services across Gaza City and northern Gaza after Israeli strikes damaged key network routes.

“Our teams are working around the clock to repair the lines under dangerous conditions,” the company said. Residents reported widespread outages across several neighborhoods.

The campaign in Gaza City comes weeks after Israel’s government approved a plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reoccupy the entire Gaza Strip, starting with the densely populated city.

Since early August, Israeli forces have bombarded residential towers and apartment blocks, employing artillery, drone strikes and booby-trapped robots.

Opposition leaders and hostage families inside Israel accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war for political survival, warning that any withdrawal from Gaza could topple his coalition. International groups have also voiced concern over catastrophic consequences for civilians.

The Israeli army has killed almost 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable, and led to famine and spread of diseases.