Israeli occupation forces have continued their relentless bombardment of homes and residential blocks in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, destroying dozens of houses and forcing hundreds of families to flee under fire. The military has advanced westward with tanks and armored vehicles, nearing the Sabra district in a sweeping ground offensive.
“We fled under the shelling Friday night,” one displaced Palestinian man told Al Manassa. “The shelling got worse, the water was cut off, and there’s no electricity or internet. No food, no water.”
He said his family walked to Barcelona Park in the southern area of Tel Al-Hawa, seeking shelter in a relative’s tent. “Even we, the neighbors, couldn’t help those trapped. The bombing was everywhere and nonstop.”
Israel confirmed Saturday that its Division 99 Nahal and the 7th Armored Brigades had launched a ground incursion into Al-Zaytoun quarter of Gaza City. It claimed its forces were uncovering explosive devices planted by Palestinian resistance factions, pursuing fighters, and destroying military infrastructure both above and below ground.
The occupation army also reported that its troops came under attack from an anti-tank missile fired by Palestinian fighters, though no soldiers were injured. It said it pursued and targeted the attackers.
This ground operation follows a broader plan endorsed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet last week for “full military control” of Gaza City. The plan mobilizes Israeli reservists, expands training, and prepares for deeper incursions into northern Gaza.
Meanwhile, Egypt and Qatar have been working on a new proposal for a comprehensive ceasefire to halt the war, now in its 23rd month, according to sources familiar with the talks.
On the ground, however, fears of forced displacement are mounting. The Israeli army announced the resumption of tent and shelter equipment deliveries through the Karm Abu Salem crossing into southern Gaza starting Sunday, aiming to relocate residents from the north in the coming days. The United Nations and international relief organizations will oversee the process, with trucks subject to strict inspections, according to a statement posted on X.
However, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees will not join or supervise any project to displace Palestinians, said its media advisor Adnan Abu Hasna.
Abu Hasna warned that Israel’s plan to deport residents toward Rafah in the south is an attempt to create a so-called “humanitarian city” that restricts aid, and forces UN agencies to operate under full Israeli control.
The issue of displacement has drawn regional and international outrage. In January, Egypt and Jordan rejected US President Donald Trump’s proposal to host displaced Palestinians from Gaza. Human rights groups denounced the proposal as ethnic cleansing.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has reiterated Cairo’s opposition. “History will judge many countries for their positions in this war,” he said, vowing Egypt would never be “a gateway for displacing the Palestinian people.”
