Israeli bombing intensifies in Gaza amid reports of troop ambush and Hannibal Protocol use

The Israeli military has escalated bombardment in northern Gaza, striking Gaza City’s Tuffah and Shujayeah neighbourhoods near the border, aiming to displace Palestinians southwards. During operations there, Israeli forces were ambushed by Palestinian armed factions, with reports of a tank struck by an anti-tank missile and soldiers killed or wounded, triggering the controversial Hannibal Protocol to prevent captures. Heavy airstrikes now blanket the area, with eyewitnesses describing residential blocks levelled and helicopters evacuating casualties under smoke-covered skies. Meanwhile, Israel has banned Al Jazeera’s reporting, forcing reliance on censored local media and social channels, where accounts liken the destruction of Beit Hanoun to being "wiped off the map." Southern Israelis describe the bombardment as earthquake-like, though official details on casualties emerge slowly, with 890 soldiers confirmed dead since October. The Hannibal Directive’s revival underscores the operation’s brutality, while blackened horizons and delayed military disclosures obscure the full toll. This relentless campaign, paired with media restrictions, deepens the war’s chaos and humanitarian crisis. Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reports from Gaza City while Nour Odeh reports from Amman, Jordan. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #Israel #IsraeliArmy #IsraelMilitaryCasualities #Palestine #Gaza #GazaWar #IsraelGazaWar #Hamas #GazaUnderAttack #QassamBrigades #GazaGroundRaid #NorthernGaza #GazaCity