Satellite Images and Videos Suggest Israel’s Ground Forces Are Encircling Gaza City

Israel’s ground forces are reportedly closing in on Gaza City, according to satellite images and videos analyzed by CNN. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim to have surrounded the city, with troops advancing along three axes to divide the enclave in two. Satellite images obtained from the European Space Agency show Israeli troops moving towards the sea, while videos shared by the IDF show their advance into Gaza’s northern communities. Israeli forces have also been spotted on the Salah al-Din road, preventing passage south to those still in the city. Gaza City is home to nearly 2 million people and has been heavily targeted in Israeli attacks in recent weeks. Over 9,000 people have been killed and more than 23,000 injured according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The slow and systematic approach by the IDF is attributed to the challenges of fighting in urban areas and the presence of underground tunnels and booby traps set up by Hamas. The IDF is using heavily armored bulldozers to clear safe lanes for tanks and ground forces to pass. The ongoing conflict has led to a growing humanitarian crisis, with shortages of medical supplies, clean water, and food. The main hospital in Gaza City, Al-Shifa, is facing a severe fuel shortage that has caused power outages and jeopardized critical functions such as oxygen generation. Civilians in the city are also at risk as Israeli troops draw nearer. At least 21 people were injured when an Israeli airstrike hit a hospital in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood. The situation in Gaza is dire, and calls for an end to the violence are intensifying.