Israeli troops entered part of Gaza City on Saturday, according to Palestinian eyewitnesses. Soldiers were reportedly spotted in the Sabra neighborhood, particularly near a local school building. The Israeli army responded to a request for comment that it would not comment on the positions of its soldiers. The Israeli leadership has approved a plan to capture Gaza City.

Prior to this, the evacuation of the city, which is estimated to be home to around one million people, is planned. According to media reports, the offensive is not expected to begin until September at the earliest. However, Israeli soldiers have recently advanced into the suburbs of the coastal city. Israeli ground troops have been deployed in the Sabra district since the beginning of Israel's Gaza war against the militant Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas almost two years ago.

Aid organizations have warned of a further deterioration of the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, home to approximately two million Palestinians. The IPC initiative had declared a famine in Gaza City and some neighboring towns. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the report a"blatant lie." According to Israel, the assessment is based on false information from Hamas.