GAZA CITY, Sept. 28 – Israeli tanks pushed further into Gaza City’s residential neighborhoods on Sunday, as local health authorities reported being unable to respond to dozens of urgent calls, raising fears for residents trapped in targeted areas.
Witnesses and medics said the incursions deepened in the Sabra, Tel Al-Hawa, Sheikh Radwan, and Al-Naser districts, moving toward central and western parts of the city, where hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering. The ground offensive began on September 16 after weeks of escalating strikes, forcing some Palestinians to flee while many remain in place.
Hamas, which Israel has demanded surrender, said it has not received a new proposal from mediators, despite U.S. President Donald Trump indicating Friday that “a deal on Gaza” appeared possible. Trump is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Israel said Ambassador Mike Huckabee would travel to Egypt to meet officials “as part of regular diplomatic consultations conducted between U.S. embassies in the region,” with Egypt among those mediating between Israel and Hamas.
The Civil Emergency Service in Gaza reported that Israel had denied 73 rescue requests sent through international organisations late Saturday. Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier, the military said its forces were expanding operations in Gaza City and that five militants firing an anti-tank missile at Israeli troops had been killed by the Israeli air force.
Over the past 24 hours, Israel’s air force struck 140 military targets across Gaza, including militants and military infrastructure, according to the military. Local health authorities reported at least five people killed in an air strike in Al Naser, with 16 more deaths in strikes on central Gaza homes, bringing Sunday’s confirmed toll to at least 21. Later, the Gaza health ministry said at least 77 people had been killed by Israeli fire in the previous 24 hours.
The ongoing Israeli military siege has created a humanitarian crisis across the enclave. The World Health Organization reported that four health facilities in Gaza City have closed this month, and some malnutrition centers have also shut down, the U.N. says.
The World Food Programme estimates that between 350,000 and 400,000 Palestinians have fled Gaza City since last month, though hundreds of thousands remain. Israeli authorities estimated about one million residents were in the city in August.
Israel’s assault on Gaza began nearly two years ago following a Hamas-led attack that killed around 1,200 people, with 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Since then, Gaza’s health authorities say more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed, the entire population has been displaced, and the territory’s health system has been severely disrupted.
