Shujaiya

Israeli air strikes pounded parts of Gaza's biggest city on Thursday, Hamas said, after Israel's military declared an end to its operation in an eastern district that saw Gaza City's heaviest combat in months.

Smoke billows from an area targeted by Israeli bombardment in the Gaza City district of Shujaiya on June 28, 2024.

Heavy battles and bombardment hit Gaza City's Shujaiya district for a fourth day on Sunday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged his forces were engaged in a "difficult fight".

Israel's announcement to purportedly legalize five settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank and the issuance of tenders for thousands of illegal housing units in the area face global condemnations.

In a post published on his official X account on June 29, U.N. Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland denounced the measure as "deeply concerning."

Palestinians fled eastern Gaza City on Thursday under heavy bombardment as the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for the area it had previously declared clear of Hamas militants.