Israel Launches Ground Assault On Gaza City As Netanyahu Confirms Push To Capture Hamas Stronghold

Israel has launched its ground offensive to seize Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Tuesday (16 September) during court testimony, according to Reuters.

The city, the largest urban centre in the territory, has been under weeks of heavy bombardment and is seen by Israel as a key Hamas stronghold.

The plan to occupy Gaza City was formally approved in August, following Hamas’s surprise attack in October 2023 that left over 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage.

According to Israeli authorities, 48 hostages remain unaccounted for, with 20 believed to be alive inside Gaza.

For weeks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had operated on the outskirts, attempting to push towards the city’s centre, where around one million displaced Palestinians had taken shelter in August.

Now, ground troops have moved in following a renewed wave of strikes that left multiple casualties, including children, Reuters and CNN reported.

Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on X, “Gaza is burning. The IDF strikes with an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure and IDF soldiers are fighting bravely to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”

International observers note that the ground incursion was expected to begin only after large-scale civilian evacuations, yet only a fraction of Gaza’s residents have left so far.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, en route to Qatar, issued a blunt warning to Hamas.

“Our number one choice is that this ends through a negotiated settlement where Hamas says, ‘We’re going to demilitarise, we’re no longer going to pose a threat’,” he was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

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