The Israeli military reportedly launched a ground offensive on Monday aimed at capturing Gaza City, the largest urban center in the Gaza Strip, Axios reported, citing Israeli officials.
The military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The move follows weeks of intensive Israeli airstrikes on the city. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the operation last month, describing Gaza City as a Hamas stronghold responsible for the October 2023 surprise attacks on Israel.
Since then, Israeli forces have imposed a siege on the Gaza Strip, resulting in widespread destruction, severe food and water shortages, mass displacement, and a mounting humanitarian crisis.
For weeks, Israeli troops have been advancing on the outskirts of Gaza City, inching closer to areas where roughly one million Palestinians were reported to be sheltering last month.
“Gaza is burning,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said early Tuesday on X. “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.”
It is unclear whether Katz was directly referencing the new ground offensive.
The conflict began when Hamas launched attacks on Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israeli authorities report that 20 of the remaining 48 hostages in Gaza are still alive.
Gaza’s health ministry reports that more than 64,000 Palestinians have died since Israel’s counteroffensive began.
Meanwhile, a global hunger monitor warns that parts of the enclave are now experiencing famine. Israel currently controls roughly 75% of Gaza.
Last week, Israeli forces expanded operations beyond Gaza, carrying out an airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, highlighting the broader regional implications of the ongoing conflict.
