Israeli forces step up bombing of Rafah, tanks push west

With no sign of progress in mediators’ efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza war, Israeli forces pounded Rafah from the air and ground overnight as tanks tried to advance further west, residents said.
Fierce gun battles between Israeli troops and Hamas-led Palestinian fighters were also taking place.
Residents said tanks that have taken control along the borderline with Egypt made several raids towards the west and the center of the southern city, wounding several residents who had been trapped inside their homes and were taken by surprise.
Israeli forces have also operated inside the Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip on the ground, while it kept two other camps and a city nearby under heavy bombardment from planes and tanks, killing and wounding several Palestinians, medics said.
The armed wings of Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and smaller other groups reported their fighters carried out attacks against invading Israeli forces in several areas in central and southern the enclave.