Israel launched a ground offensive on Gaza City on Tuesday, intensifying a war that has already devastated the enclave for nearly two years and sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing.
The military campaign, which Israel has said will dismantle Hamas’ remaining fighting strength, has no declared timeline. Reports in Israeli media suggest the operation could last for months. “Gaza is burning,” said Defence Minister Israel Katz as the first wave of troops advanced following weeks of airstrikes, reports AP/UNB.
The escalation came the same day a United Nations inquiry accused Israel of genocide in Gaza – an allegation Israel dismissed as “distorted and false.”
Israeli forces have entered Gaza City multiple times during the war, causing mass displacement and destruction, but militants have managed to regroup. This offensive, Israel insists, will secure control of the entire city, where international agencies say is experiencing famine.
An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously, said the “main phase” of the Gaza City campaign was now underway and that between 2,000 and 3,000 Hamas fighters were believed to remain, relying on tunnels and small guerrilla-style units to resist.
Civilians described dire conditions.
Ismail Zaydah, 39, who fled the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, said, “We fled with nothing but a few pieces of clothing. People are pitching their tents in western Gaza City, and they are sleeping among human waste because there is no place for them to go.”
Before the evacuation orders, roughly one million Palestinians lived in Gaza City and surrounding areas. The Israeli military estimates 350,000 have since fled. According to the UN, more than 220,000 people have left northern Gaza in the past month, while hundreds of thousands remain.
Hospitals across Gaza reported dozens of deaths on Tuesday alone.
At Shifa Hospital, Dr Rami Mhanna said 49 bodies were brought in, including 22 children, while dozens of wounded also arrived. Al-Ahli Hospital recorded 17 deaths, and Al-Quds another three.
The Israeli army did not comment on the strikes.
The Gaza Health Ministry said the war has killed over 64,900 Palestinians.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio travelled to Qatar after his Israel visit, thanking Doha for mediating ceasefire efforts.
Qatar, however, is incensed over an Israeli strike last week that killed five Hamas members and a local security official. Rubio’s statement avoided mentioning that strike directly but stressed the strength of US-Qatar ties.
Arab and Muslim nations condemned Israel at a Monday summit but stopped short of any major action targeting Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that US President Donald Trump had invited him to the White House on 29 September, after his speech to the UN General Assembly. It will be Netanyahu’s fourth White House visit since Trump took office in January.
