Israel pounds Gaza City ahead of ‘intolerable’ new offensive

Ahead of the offensive, the Israeli military said the call-up of the reservists would begin in early September, adding the second phase of operation “Gideon’s Chariots” had begun.

Gaza City residents described relentless bombardments overnight.

“The house shakes with us all night long — the sound of explosions, artillery, warplanes, ambulances, and cries for help is killing us,” Ahmad Al-Shanti told AFP.

“The sound is getting closer, but where would we go?“

Another resident, Amal Abdel-Aal, said she watched the heavy strikes on the area, a week after being displaced from her home in Gaza City’s Al-Sabra neighborhood.

“No one in Gaza has slept — not last night, not for a week. The artillery and air strikes in the east never stop. The sky flashes all night long,” she added.

Gaza civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said air strikes and artillery fire overnight targeted areas to the northwest and southeast of the city.