Israel Launches New Attacks in Gaza City
Israel has initiated a new ground offensive in Gaza City, urging residents to evacuate southward for their safety.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that this operation commenced on Tuesday, aiming to reinforce their control over the largest city in Palestinian territories.
This maneuver is part of the ongoing campaign known as the “Tanks of Gideon,” which targets southern and central Gaza, where Israeli forces claim to have dismantled significant Hamas positions and cleared key roads. The IDF indicated that several units are now engaging in an “expanded ground operation,” focused on breaking down Hamas infrastructure while advancing further into the city.
Warnings about an imminent strike have prompted many residents to flee, as the IDF previously launched airstrikes on over 850 locations in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of numerous Hamas fighters and damaging critical infrastructure to facilitate the ground invasion.
An anonymous Israeli military source revealed that approximately 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas militants remain entrenched within Gaza’s tunnel network.
This escalation comes amidst a backdrop of ongoing conflict, with the prospect of a ceasefire appearing increasingly remote despite extensive diplomatic efforts.
Latest Developments: Ground Attack Reports
Eyewitness accounts from Palestinian residents described extensive aerial bombardments throughout Gaza City on Tuesday morning. By midday, Shifa Hospital had reported receiving the bodies of at least 34 individuals, according to Dr. Rami Manna, with many others being treated for injuries.
“It’s been an incredibly difficult night in Gaza,” noted Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, the director of Shifa Hospital. “The bombing has been relentless.”
Avichay Adraee, an Arabic spokesperson for the Israeli military, warned that Gaza City now constitutes a “dangerous battle zone,” urging locals to evacuate to safer areas as quickly as possible.
The IDF estimates that around 350,000 people have fled Gaza City, representing nearly a third of the city’s original population, a figure that contrasts with a UN estimate stating that over 220,000 Palestinians had evacuated from northern Gaza in the previous month.
Long lines of vehicles packed with personal belongings were seen on Tuesday, with some fleeing on foot, creating a chaotic scene along Gaza’s coastal road.
The IDF indicated that its frontline divisions are now actively mobilizing in a new phase of the operation.
“Recently, the IDF forces from the Southern Command, including Divisions 98, 162, and 36, have ramped up their ground operations in Gaza City as part of Operation Gideon’s Tank II,” the military announced.
Officials indicated that the Gaza Division is engaging in operations near the border with West Negev, particularly in the Rafah and Khan Younis regions, while the 99th Division targets areas in the northern Gaza Strip.
In other developments, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has met with Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohamed bin Abdulman Al Thani, reaffirming U.S. support for Qatar’s efforts to resolve the conflict in Gaza and secure the safe return of hostages.
