Heavy fighting rages in Gaza City on Monday. The Israeli military claims to be clearing out militant Palestinians, while thousands of civilians are once again forced to flee.
The intense fighting in the area during the war's first weeks emptied Gaza City and its surroundings, and the Israeli military has prevented most from returning to their homes there.
Despite this, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain in the area and are living in the ruins of their homes or shelters. The new fighting means new forced displacements for many residents.
We fled in the dark under heavy fighting. This is my fifth forced displacement, says three-child mother Sayeda Abdel-Baki, who had taken shelter with relatives, to the AP news agency.
New Evacuations
The fighting is taking place in areas of the city that Israel has claimed to have taken control of for several months now. But since then, pockets of resistance have emerged, reducing the Israeli military's successes.
Israel had ordered evacuations in the area before the raid began, according to the military. On Monday, new evacuations were ordered in the central parts of the city.
In the past 24 hours, 40 people have died, according to the Hamas-controlled health department in Gaza. The total number of people killed in Gaza since the war broke out on October 7, following Hamas' terrorist attack, is thus 38,193 people, according to the authorities.
Ongoing Talks This Week
A spokesperson for the civil defense, which is under Hamas authorities, says in a voice message to AP that rescue workers "have seen people lying on the ground and been unable to retrieve them due to the bombing".
The fighting comes as Israel and Hamas are negotiating an agreement on a ceasefire that would mean a pause in the war. In exchange for the ceasefire, a dozen Israelis held as hostages by Hamas in the Gaza Strip would be released.
Mediators Egypt and Qatar are expected to host new talks this week, according to officials.
