Gaza / PNN /

Heavy gunfire from Israeli military vehicles was reported on Wednesday morning in areas east and north of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, alongside artillery shelling that targeted displaced people and property.

In a related development, the Israeli army carried out demolition operations and detonated booby-trapped armoured vehicles in areas east and southeast of Gaza City, marking a further escalation in the military campaign in the enclave.

Residents of al-Tuffah neighbourhood, east of Gaza City, like others across the Strip, are facing dire field conditions, particularly in areas close to what is known as the “yellow line”.

Residents said drones have recently begun crossing this line and dropping explosive canisters on homes, forcing dozens of families to flee once again to escape the bombardment, compounding the suffering of civilians in the neighbourhood.

Despite Israeli reports suggesting the imminent reopening of the Rafah crossing, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the crossing would not be opened until the return of the body of the last Israeli captive.

On the diplomatic front, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani discussed the implementation of the requirements of the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan, particularly those related to Israeli withdrawals from Gaza.