Deadliest day yet in Gaza as Isreal's tanks storm in and death toll reaches 65

Grinning Israeli tank commanders have been pictured flashing the victory signs as they blast their way through Gaza in the bloodiest day of the offensive so far.

At least 65 people have been killed since this morning's dawn strike on Gaza City's Shijaiyah neighbourhood - including the son, daughter-in-law and two small grandchildren of a senior Hamas leader.

The neighborhood has come under heavy tank fire as Israel widened its ground offensive against Hamas, causing hundreds of residents to flee.

The dead and wounded - including dozens of women and children - have reportedly been left in streets, with ambulances unable to approach.

Throughout the night, loud explosions shook Gaza as Israeli flares lit up the night sky and fighter jets flew low over the densely populated territory. 

Today's battle was the deadliest so far in Israel's three-day-old ground offensive, which followed 10 days of heavy airstrikes on targets linked to Gaza's Hamas rulers.

The mass casualties in the district in northeast Gaza appeared to be the heaviest since Israel launched its offensive on the Palestinian territory on July 8 after cross-border rocket strikes by militants intensified.

The Hamas military wing said its fighters exchanged fire with Israeli forces in Shijaiyah and a nearby neighborhood. The sound of gunfire could be heard from the centre of the city.

One resident, Jawad Hassanain, said Israeli tanks entered the community after midnight and fired heavily. He said:

 ‘The gate of hell has opened, and shrapnel came through the windows. All you could hear is heavy bombardment, the smell of fire and the smell of death."

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