Israel launched a ground offensive late Monday as it seeks to capture Gaza City after weeks of heavy bombardment.
Local media reported Israeli tanks had entered the city following massive airstrikes.
“Gaza is burning,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said early Tuesday, adding that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was striking “with an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure.” The IDF has yet to issue an official comment on the operation.
Israel’s push into Gaza City marks an escalation in its campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has intensified steadily in recent weeks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously described seizing the city as critical to defeating Hamas, whose militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages during the Oct. 7, 2023 assault on Israel. Authorities say 48 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Last Tuesday, Israel expanded its operations with an airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar. On the same day, Netanyahu ordered a complete evacuation of Gaza City, warning that “this is only the beginning of the intensified ground maneuver.”
By Monday, an estimated 300,000 residents of the city had fled southward while about 700,000 remained, the Jerusalem Post reported.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, which is under the Hamas-run government, more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s assault. U.N. agencies and independent experts consider the ministry’s casualty records as generally reliable. International monitors warn that famine has taken hold in parts of the enclave.
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