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People on the ground and witnesses claim that scores military tanks and army vehicles have pushed into a significant civilian area of Gaza City, marking the following day of Israel's military operation intended to securing the zone.

Recorded images shows armored vehicles, construction vehicles and armored personnel carriers moving on the perimeter of Sheikh Radwan, in the north of Gaza City. Dense clouds of smoke can be witnessed as Israeli forces launch explosive rounds and smoke bombs to cover their progress.

The Sheikh Radwan area was home to numerous families of people before the hostilities and is considered one of the city's heavily inhabited zones.

Israel states that the objective of its Gaza City campaign is to rescue captives held by Hamas and neutralize up to 3,000 fighters in what it labels as the group's "last stronghold" - but the mission has drawn extensive international condemnation.

The heads of more than 20 leading aid groups, including Save the Children and Oxfam, cautioned that "the cruelty of the situation in Gaza is unconscionable".

Residents in Sheikh Radwan stated that Wednesday's entry came after a series of severe airstrikes targeting structures and main streets across the neighborhood, in what seemed to be readiness for the infantry operation.

"The drones avoided anything. They damaged energy collectors, electricity sources, storage containers, even the internet network," a displaced person who fled south with his family earlier on Wednesday explained.

"Daily living became impossible, and that is what compelled the majority to leave in spite of the danger."

Sheikh Radwan contains the sections of Abu Iskandar, al-Tawam, and al-Saftawi, and is crossed by al-Jalaa Street, a key corridor connecting central Gaza City with its northern districts.

Residents believe Israeli control of the area could pave the way for forces to advance deeper into the city and enter its central areas.

The footage of tanks in Gaza City's streets have caused widespread panic among residents, particularly those still living in the western and central sections of the city.

Witnesses said the presence of tanks advancing toward their homes reawakened reminders of previous operations, that finished with complete neighborhoods being flattened.

The entry into Sheikh Radwan has resulted in yet another wave of relocation, with numerous families of families fleeing south.

Lengthy columns of cars and carts loaded with belongings were spotted on the roads, as the Israeli army opened a route to the south via the Salahedin Road. People described journeys requiring hours and costing large sums of shekels due to the lack of transport and escalating prices.

Prior to the war, Sheikh Radwan was one of Gaza City's most active neighborhoods, host to many of schools, mosques, and commercial areas.

It had already been hit repeatedly by bombing runs in previous months, and there is broad destruction, but the presence of tanks inside the area now represents a major new chapter in Israel's military operation.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on Wednesday morning that it had hit more than 150 objectives across Gaza City in two days in assistance of its ground troops.

Within its operations, the IDF is also according to reports using old military vehicles filled with explosives that have been modified to be controlled remotely. They are being directed to Hamas positions and exploded, as reported by Israeli media.

"Yesterday evening was exceptionally difficult, with continuous explosions and shelling that continued from night until dawn," inhabitant Nidal al-Sherbi told.

"Israeli vehicles moved from Sheikh Radwan, Tal al-Hawa, and also from Shejaiya. It was a very, very frightening night."

Relief agencies, UN agencies and others state the "safe zone" people are told to move to is heavily overcrowded and insufficient to accommodate the roughly two million Palestinians who are expected to cram into it.

Several who complied with the military's orders to evacuate to the zone report they found no space to pitch their tents, so they returned north.

"Daily leaflets are thrown at us ordering evacuation, while the Israeli army shells buildings in every direction," Munir Azzam reported. "But where can we go? We have no refuge in the south."

The IDF stated on Tuesday that approximately 350,000 people had evacuated Gaza City, while the UN put the number at 190,000 since August. Estimates suggest at least 650,000 stay.

Israel initiated its war in Gaza in reaction to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 65,062 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since then, approximately half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

It reported on Wednesday that 98 people had been killed and 385 injured by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours. Another four people had died from malnutrition, taking the total number of malnutrition-related deaths since a UN-backed body declared famine in Gaza City in late August to 154, it added.

The UN has cautioned that an escalation of the offensive will push civilians into "even deeper catastrophe".

On Tuesday, a UN commission of inquiry said Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel's foreign ministry rejected the report and denounced it as "inaccurate and false".