Israeli tanks 'destroy houses after pushing into Gaza City' - as Trump prepares to chair meeting on war

Israeli tanks have reportedly destroyed houses and caused people to flee after pushing into a new area of Gaza City overnight - as Donald Trump is expected to chair a meeting on the war later today.

Several people were wounded and many others were forced to flee deeper into Gaza's largest city as the tanks entered the Ebad-Alraham neighbourhood late on Tuesday, people living in the area said. Saad Abed, 60, a former construction worker, told Reuters via a chat app: "All of a sudden, we heard that the tanks pushed into Ebad-Alrahman, the sounds of explosions became louder, and louder, and we saw people escaping towards our area." Speaking from his house in Jala Street in Gaza City, which is around 1km (0.6 miles) from the Ebad-Alrahman neighbourhood, Mr Abed continued: "If no truce is reached, we will see the tanks outside our homes." Israeli tanks retreated from the edge of Gaza City later on Wednesday to the Jabalia area, where they have been operating for months, However, bombardments on three of the city's eastern suburbs - Shejaia, Zeitoun and Sabra - continued.

Earlier this month, Israel approved a plan to seize control of Gaza City. The offensive is not expected to start for another few weeks.

On Friday, Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said that Gaza City will be razed unless Hamas releases all its remaining hostages and ends the war on Israel's terms. Around half of the Palestinian territory's two million people are living there, and Israel has said they will be told to evacuate ahead of the offensive.

Thousands have already left, but church leaders in the city said on Wednesday they were staying put, as leaving Gaza City and "trying to flee to the south would be nothing less than a death sentence". "For this reason, the clergy and nuns have decided to remain and continue to care for all those who will be in the compounds," a  joint statement by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said.

It comes as Gaza health authorities said in their latest update that Israeli fire had killed at least another 20 people, including a four-year-old girl, across the territory. They added on Wednesday that 10 more people have died of malnutrition and starvation, raising deaths from such causes to 313 people, including 119 children, since the war started in October 2023.

Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said that Mr Trump would chair a meeting on Gaza at the White House on Wednesday. Mr Witkoff added that Washington expected Israel's war in the Palestinian territory to be settled by the end of the year.

It was unclear who would be present at the Trump meeting. The US State Department separately said Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Washington.

Earlier on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV called for Israel to stop the "collective punishment" and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza as he pleaded for an immediate and "permanent ceasefire". He also called for the release of hostages taken by Hamas in southern Israel - with 50 of them remaining in Gaza.

Read more:Israeli protesters condemn 'tyrant' NetanyahuGaza hospital rejects Israeli claim The pope's comments in the Vatican came as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a speech on Wednesday that her government condemned the "unjustifiable" killing of journalists in Gaza. Israel struck Nasser Hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing at least 20 people, including five journalists who worked for Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera and others.

"It is an unacceptable attack on press freedom and on all those who courageously risk their lives to report on the tragedy of war," she said during a political conference in the Italian beach town of Rimini. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting opposition to the war.

Thousands of Israelis rallied across the country on Tuesday, demanding an end to the conflict and the release of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. The war was triggered on 7 October 2023 when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Israel's subsequent military campaign against Hamas has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its count but says the majority are women and children..