Gaza endures intense Israeli bombing as ground troops return to Shujaiya

Israeli ground forces advanced into the eastern Shujaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City on Thursday amid heavy carpet bombing across the besieged enclave.

The Israeli military said its troops began operations in Shujaiya in northern Gaza to "deepen control" and expand the so-called "security zone", according to a statement on X.

It claimed to target "several militants" and "Hamas infrastructure", saying that troops were facilitating civilian evacuations from the conflict zone.

Despite these claims, local media reports indicate that the majority of victims have been children, women and the elderly.