Aftermath of Israeli airstrike on buildings in Gaza City

 An Israeli strike levelled two buildings in Gaza City overnight on Tuesday (September 16), killing and wounding dozens, according to witnesses and medics.

Rescue workers and residents searched through the rubble in the morning, pulling out bodies and injured survivors.

Israel announced the start of its long-awaited ground operation into Gaza City on Tuesday. An Israeli military official said the Israeli Defense Forces had begun the main stage of their ground operation into Gaza City, the main urban center in the enclave, where Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of residents to flee.

Residents said bombardment of the city had been ramped up dramatically over the past two days, with heavier explosions that destroyed dozens of homes, and naval boats joining tanks and planes in the bombardment of the coast.

Israel's nearly two-year-long campaign against Hamas has killed more than 64,000 people in Gaza, according to local authorities. It was prompted by the militant group's attack on Israel in October 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.

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