Hamas is reported preparing to fight the street to the street like Israeli forces near

The Israeli forces have approached the center of Gaza, as according to reports, Hamas fighters are regroup against the background of fears of intense struggles on the street to the street.

Thousands of Palestinians have been forced to escape from the city since Israel launched their offensive last week.

Israel describes the city as Hamas’s “last fortress” and says that his goal is to “remove terrorists” and save his 48 other hostages, 20 of whom are thought to be alive.

The BBC checked footage of an Israeli tank in Hamid Junction, about 1.5 km (0.9 miles) from Al-Shifa Central Hospital. Israeli armored vehicles were also reported to have also been observed near the UN’s main compound in South Gaza City, about 700 m (2297 feet) from the center.

The BBC talk with a Hamas figure, who claims that the belligerent group is ready to call thousands of fighters in the city, raising the fear of intense battles in dense urban areas where thousands of civilians remain.

He said that Issa Al-Hadad, a military commander of the group, ordered all the available fighters through the strip to get closer to the city, telling them to prepare for “final, decisive battle”.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) estimated last week that up to 3,000 Hamas fighters were in the city. Hamas’s figure claims that they have 5,000 fighters and threaten suicide attacks, although this is not a tactic that Hamas used widely in this recent conflict. The BBC cannot independently check these figures and Hamas has not commented officially.

International journalists were banned from Israel from entering the Gaza Strip, despite the beginning of the war nearly two years ago, making it difficult to check the allegations from both sides. Some journalists have been taken in Gaza from IDF under controlled access.

Israel is trying to destroy the tunnels in Gaza to stop the fighters who use them for surprising attacks. But Hamas’s army claims that some remain intact and that the group has learned from Israel’s successes in the destruction of belligerent units who have tried to take a battle.

Before he was killed by Israel, the former military chief of the group Mohammed Deef issued orders that the belligerent group should take a move to guerrilla tactics and ambushes to mitigate their catastrophic losses.

According to residents in Gaza, Israel reacted to this by conducting rapid impulses in urban areas before pulling back within hours.

Israeli media also reports that IDF has used damaged armored vehicles full of explosives and equipped with remote control capabilities to attack Hamas positions or destroy the buildings used to hide fighters.

Small quadcopter drones, equipped with speakers, were also located by Israel to warn civilians to leave, spreading panic in several areas.

Thousands of Palestinian families continue to flee south along the coastal road Al-Rashid, the only route that is currently authorized by Israeli military. The UN estimated on Tuesday that at least 321,000 people had fled south since mid-August. IDF puts the total number of 640,000.

The trip has become extremely expensive, with families paying over $ 3,000 (2450 British pounds) for transport, far beyond the funds of most Gaza residents. Many are forced to abandon things that they could not wear on foot.

The rest in Gaza – they are considered hundreds of thousands – face the constant threat of bombing, collapse of hospitals and reducing food and water. A The UN -backed agency confirmed hunger in the area at the end of August.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to an attack led by Hamas against southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and 251 others were hostage.

At least 65 419 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the health ministry in the territory.