GAZA- In northern Gaza, Palestinian residents reported heavy air and artillery strikes on Monday, as Israeli forces, accompanied by tanks, launched a ground assault. This action prompted increased international calls for the protection of civilians.

Israeli airstrikes targeted areas near Gaza City's Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals, leading to clashes between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces in the southern border area near Khan Younis.
As of now, there have been no official comments from Hamas or the Israeli military regarding the events on Monday, although the authenticity of these images couldn't be independently verified by the media.

These bombardments followed the release of images by Israel, showing battle tanks on the western coast of the Palestinian enclave, suggesting a potential move to encircle Gaza's main city. This action came two days after the Israeli government ordered an expansion of ground incursions on the eastern border.

There are images circulating online that appear to show Israeli soldiers displaying the Israeli flag deep inside Gaza, although the authenticity of these images couldn't be independently verified by the media.

Israel's self-proclaimed "second phase" of a three-week conflict against Iranian-backed Hamas militants has largely remained out of public view, with forces operating under the cover of darkness and a telecommunications blackout affecting Palestinians.

While phone and internet disruptions seemed to ease on Sunday, telecoms provider Paltel reported that Israeli airstrikes once again disrupted internet and phone services in parts of the northern areas of the enclave, where Hamas has command centers. These outages have severely hampered rescue efforts for casualties.

The reported strikes near hospitals came after the Palestinian Red Crescent received warnings from Israeli authorities on Sunday to evacuate Al-Quds hospital, where approximately 14,000 people have sought shelter.

Israel has accused Hamas of using Gaza hospitals for command and military purposes, a claim that Hamas denies.

Palestinian officials reported that about 50,000 people have sought refuge in Shifa Hospital, expressing concerns about Israeli threats to the facility.

Since Hamas incursions on October 7, Israel has tightened its blockade and carried out extensive bombardments in Gaza. Israeli authorities claim that the militants killed approximately 1,400 people and took at least 239 hostages.

Additionally, Israel has escalated its operations against Islamist groups in the West Bank, leading to the deaths of numerous Palestinians and the arrests of hundreds.

On Monday, the United Nations Security Council is set to receive a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Despite four unsuccessful votes in the past two weeks on draft resolutions aimed at addressing the conflict, the 193-member U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Friday in favor of an immediate humanitarian truce.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, urging the protection of civilians in Gaza and a significant increase in the flow of humanitarian aid to the besieged area.

Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have committed to accelerating assistance to Gaza starting Sunday.

Colonel Elad Goren of COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry agency that coordinates with Palestinians, announced that Israel would allow a substantial increase in aid to Gaza in the coming days. Palestinian civilians have been advised to head to a designated "humanitarian zone" in the southern part of the territory.

Medical authorities in Gaza, which is home to 2.3 million people, reported on Sunday that 8,005 people, including 3,324 minors, have been killed.
The Hamas-run Gaza government's media office stated that 116 medics and 35 journalists have been killed since the conflict began. Reuters could not independently verify these figures.

Israel has expressed its determination to eliminate Hamas, which it describes as a task that requires prolonged ground operations both in and around Gaza City, where militants have an extensive underground bunker network.

There are concerns of the conflict's potential regional impact, including in Lebanon, where the Israeli army and Iranian-backed Hezbollah group have engaged in exchanges of fire.

On Monday, Syrian state TV reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted two army posts in Daraa, resulting in "some material losses."

The conflict has led to large-scale demonstrations worldwide in support of the Palestinian cause. On Sunday, several thousand people gathered in Beirut to show solidarity with Gaza.

In a separate incident, hundreds of anti-Israel protesters stormed Russia's Dagestan airport in Makhachkala on Sunday following the arrival of a plane from Israel. This forced security forces to close the airport, divert flights, and remove the demonstrators. This incident prompted Israel to request Moscow's protection for Israelis and Jews in Russia.