Israeli strikes and demolitions have destroyed dozens of buildings in areas of Gaza City, satellite images show, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its offensive has established control over 40% of the city.
The new images reviewed show that intensive bombardments and controlled explosions have levelled several neighbourhoods over the past four weeks.
Rows of tents - which have sprung up over the city to shelter Palestinians displaced by the military campaign - have also disappeared over the past month.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel's intention to seize all of the strip and launch an incursion into Gaza City after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down in July.
UN humanitarian officials have warned that the impact of a full-blown offensive would be beyond catastrophic. Strikes have intensified in areas of Gaza City in recent weeks, and dozens of Palestinians have been killed in attacks this week alone, according to the Hamas-run health ministry and civil defence agency.
Satellite images show significant damage has already occurred in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan, Zeitoun, and Tuffah neighbourhoods. The photos indicate dozens of buildings were levelled between August and September.
The IDF reported it was locating and destroying terror infrastructures embedded, among other things, inside buildings.
In the Zeitoun neighbourhood, four clusters of IDF armoured vehicles were present. Between 1 and 2 September, numerous buildings were demolished in the area.
The destruction has intensified the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with over 1.9 million residents, approximately 90% of the population, displaced. Previous efforts to establish a ceasefire and resume exchanges of hostages have yet to yield results, as calls for humanitarian aid grow louder.
Israel's military offensive follows a Hamas-led attack in October, resulting in substantial casualties and displacing a significant portion of the population. Accurate statistics on the death toll remain inconclusive, leading to ongoing debates about the conflict's escalation.
