Israeli troops battled Hamas militants Wednesday in the center of the Gaza Strip's second-largest city, the military said.

Israeli forces are battling Hamas militants across Gaza after expanding their ground offensive to its second-largest city.

Israel announced that its troops were in the "heart of Khan Younis" - the main city in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Yesterday was reportedly the most intense day of fighting since the start of the war with Hamas, which began with a surprise and bloody attack by the radical Palestinian movement on October 7 in Israel.