Israeli tanks enter Gaza city amid internet outage

Israeli tanks were seen in two Gaza City areas that are gateways to the city centre, news agency Reuters reported on Thursday, quoting residents. 

Internet and phone lines have been cut off across Gaza since Wednesday after Israeli forces targeted routes and infrastructure. 

Israeli forces have been bombing the Sheikh Radwan and Tel Al-Hawa areas, from where they would be positioned to advance on central and western areas where most of the population is sheltering.

"The disconnection of internet and phone services is a bad omen. It has always been a bad signal something very brutal is going to happen," said Ismail, who only gave one name. He was using an e-SIM to connect his phone, a dangerous method as it requires seeking higher ground to receive a signal.

"The situation around me is very desperate. People in tents and in houses are very worried for their lives. Many can't afford to leave, but many do not want to," he said, speaking from a coastal area in the west of the city.

AFP journalists and witnesses say they saw a steady stream of Palestinians heading south on foot, in vehicles and on donkey carts, in what top UN officials called "new waves of mass displacement".