CAIRO (Reuters) -Israeli tanks were seen in two Gaza City areas that are gateways to the city centre, residents said on Thursday, while internet and phone lines were cut off across the Gaza Strip, a sign that ground operations were likely to escalate imminently.

Israeli forces control Gaza City's eastern suburbs and in recent days have been pounding the Sheikh Radwan and Tel Al-Hawa areas, from where they would be positioned to advance on central and western areas where most of the population is sheltering.

"The disconnection of internet and phone services is a bad omen. It has always been a bad signal something very brutal is going to happen," said Ismail, who only gave one name. He was using an e-SIM to connect his phone, a dangerous method as it requires seeking higher ground to receive a signal.

"The situation around me is very desperate. People in tents and in houses are very worried for their lives. Many can't afford to leave, but many do not want to," he said, speaking from a coastal area in the west of the city.

MAIN NETWORK ROUTES TARGETED, TELECOMS COMPANY SAYS

At least 14 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes or gunfire across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including nine in Gaza City, local health authorities said.

The Palestinian Telecommunications Company said in a statement that its services had been cut off "due to the ongoing aggression and the targeting of the main network routes".

In its latest statement to media, the Israeli military said troops were expanding their operations in Gaza City, dismantling what it called "terror infrastructure" and "eliminating terrorists". The statement did not mention the telecoms blackout or give any details of tank movements.

It also said the military was continuing to operate in Khan Younis and Rafah in the south.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled Gaza City since Israel announced on August 10 it intended to take control, but a greater number are staying put, either in battered homes among the ruins or in makeshift tent encampments.

The military has been dropping leaflets urging residents to flee towards a designated "humanitarian zone" in the south of the territory, but conditions there are dire, with insufficient food, medicine and space and inadequate shelter.    

Israel says it wants to smash the Palestinian militant group Hamas in its strongholds and free the last hostages still being held in Gaza, but its latest major offensive after two years of devastating war has drawn international condemnation.

TANKS SEEN IN TWO STRATEGICALLY LOCATED NEIGHBOURHOODS

In Sheikh Radwan, which is north of the city centre and has come under heavy bombardment in recent days, residents said they had seen tanks in the heart of their neighbourhood.

They also said Israeli forces had detonated four driverless vehicles full of explosives and the blasts had destroyed many houses.

Similar explosions had rocked Tel Al-Hawa, which is located southeast of the city centre, and residents there also reported seeing tanks in the streets.

Israel announced on Tuesday it was launching the main phase of its ground assault, but the bombardment of several Gaza City areas had begun in previous days.

Israel said on Wednesday it was opening an additional route out of the city for 48 hours, urging civilians to move south.    

Data from international aid agencies indicates that over 55,000 people fled northern Gaza between Sunday and Wednesday, but over half a million have not left, according to both Israeli and Hamas estimates.

PALESTINIAN DEATH TOLL PASSES 65,000, HEALTH AUTHORITY SAYS

The total Palestinian death toll from the two-year war between Israel and Hamas surpassed 65,000 on Wednesday, according to the Gaza health authorities. Palestinian officials and rescue workers say the true figure is likely higher as many remains are trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Much of Gaza City was laid waste early in the war, but around 1 million Palestinians had returned there to homes among the ruins due to the awful conditions in displacement areas.    

(Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Sharon Singleton)