What is known about Israel’s offensive in the city of Gaza

Israeli Army began terrestrial advancement to take the largest city in Palestinian territory, which considers one last bastion of Hamas, in another climbing in the conflict that shakes the Middle East.

The Israeli army began on Tuesday (16/09) an terrestrial offensive targeting the city of Gaza, slowly approaching the largest city in Palestinian territory, which has seen block after block were destroyed in the war between Israel and Hamas. The bombings, which had been intensified in recent weeks, were reinforced even more, and residents were warned that they should leave and go to the south.

The offensive marks another climbing in a conflict that shakes the Middle East, as any possible ceasefire seems even more out of reach, despite months of diplomacy. Although the army has not offered a schedule for the offensive, Israeli media suggested it could take months.

Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that “Gaza is on fire,” while independent experts hired by the United Nations Human Rights Council accused Israel of committing genocide in the Palestinian enclave, joining a growing international choir of voices making such accusations.

The commission accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s president Isaac Herzog, and former defense minister Yoav Gallant to “incite genocide” in the Gaza Strip and claim that Israeli authorities “did not adopt measures to punish this incitement.” Israel vehemently rejected the allegation, calling the “distorted and false” experts.

The Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip that began in October 2023 has already killed about 65,000 people, including more than 19,000 children, according to Gaza Ministry of Health, linked to the Hamas government. She began after the terrorist attacks of the Palestinian group south of Israel on October 7, 2023, which left more than 1,200 dead, plus 251 hostages.

Tanks in the city center

During the night and dawn on Tuesday, the military triggered a massive bombing in the city of Gaza, while Israeli troops advance in the largest urban center in the territory. “Last night, we moved to the next phase, the main phase of the plan for the city of Gaza… The forces expanded land activity in the main stronghold of Hamas in Gaza, which is the city of Gaza,” a military officer told journalists.

“We are moving toward the center of the city of Gaza, he said. The Israeli military estimated to have “two thousand to three thousand Hamas fighters” operating in the area, he added.

Israeli radio station Kan reported at night that Army tanks advanced along Al Jalaa Street, in the center of the territory capital, while Gaza sources reported that armored vehicles advanced and progressively retreated from the periphery to gain ground.

Israeli tanks travel the center of the largest city of Gaza, according to witness report | Leo Correa/AP Photo/Picture Alliance

“The army began to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the city of Gaza,” the Arab-language spokesman of the Israeli Armed Forces, Avichay Adraee, in a statement on the X-network, said that Gaza is a “dangerous combat area” and warned his population: “Staying in the city puts them at risk.”

“We started a powerful operation in the city of Gaza,” Netanyahu, in turn, announced, before Tuesday’s session began from his corruption trial, the Yedioth Ahronot newspaper reported.

“I don’t know how many days we will take it. The situation here is catastrophic. We can die at any time,” Gaza Ministry of Health official, also a refugee in the capital of the Gaza, told the Efe.

Along with the tanks movement, Israel intensified bombings using missiles, drones, artillery fire and helicopter shots.

At least 41 people died in the track after the night of Israeli attacks, which also intensified in the center of the territory, killing four Palestinians. In the capital alone, the Israeli army killed 37 people.

City housed 1 million in August

In mid -August, the city of Gaza was home to about 1 million people, although, since Israel announced its intention to invade the capital and intensified the bombing against it to force the exit of the population, an exodus of its citizens has occurred to the south.

Although the Israeli army states that about 350,000 people left the city, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reduced the number on Monday to about 142,000.

According to the Catarian television network Al Jazeera, which has reporters in Gaza, this is due to the fact that many of those who leave the capital are required to return because they do not find space in the south.

According to Emergency Emergency Coordinator without Borders in Gaza, Jacob Granger, Enclave residents do not have good options in deciding whether to stay in the city of Gaza or try to move south as Israel’s evacuation orders. “There is no safe place in Gaza. It has been 22 months,” he told DW.

Granger also said there is evidence of destruction everywhere. “We have clinics where we see wounded people coming with open wounds, without legs, without arms.”

The beginning of the offensive occurs one day after the visit to Israel of the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He offered strong support for the offensive on Monday by meeting Netanyahu. He said to reporters when leaving Israel: “We believe we have a very short time window so that an agreement can be closed. We have no more months, and we probably have days and perhaps a few weeks ahead.”

The American said that a diplomatic solution in which Hamas demilitarizes remains US preference, although he added: “Sometimes, when dealing with a group of savages like Hamas, this is not possible, but we hope it can happen.”

The US Secretary of State met on Monday in Jerusalem with hostage families in Gaza, acknowledged that Hamas had influence by keeping them arrested. “If there were no hostages or civilians on the way, this war would have ended a year and a half ago,” he said at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.

A group that represents hostage families said he was “terrified” by his loved ones after Netanyahu ordered the attacks. “He is doing his best to make sure there is no agreement and not to bring them back,” they said in a statement.

Marco Rubio and Israeli President Isaac Herzog: offensive occurs one day after a visit from the US Secretary of State for Israel | Nathan Howard/AFP/Getty Images

Plan to take city of Gaza

In early August, Israel’s security office and political affairs approved a Netanyahu plan to occupy the city of Gaza. The Israeli Premier also said at the time that his government intends to take control of the entire Palestinian enclave and that Israel would then deliver the territory to Arab forces that would govern it.

At the time, the Israeli government cited five conditions required for the end of the war: the return of all Israeli hostages, alive or dead; Hamas disarmament; the demilitarization of the gaza range; Safety controlled by Israel in the Gaza Strip and installation of an alternative civil government other than Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

The plan generated a broad global conviction, including from the United Kingdom of the China government, as well as UN representatives and major European Union countries, as well as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Australia, among others.

Felling of large buildings

This month, Israel continued the expansion of land operations to completely take the city of Gaza calling new “humanitarian zones” in the south of the Gaza Strip, aiming to “facilitate the evacuation of the city’s inhabitants.”

Israel’s evacuation orders have intensified an escape movement from the city to overcrowded fields in downtown and southern Enclave – a flow that journalists in place and humanitarian agencies consider unsustainable in the face of lack of water, food and shelter.

In addition, the Israeli military launched a bombing campaign against the latest high buildings that were still standing in the capital of Gaza, claiming to have found in them “terrorist infrastructures.” In three days, Israel knocked down three large apartment buildings in the city.

“Stop the carnage”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has asked Israel to immediately stop his terrestrial offensive against the city of Gaza. “I can only imagine what this means to women, malnourished children, for people with disabilities, if they are attacked again that way. And I have to say that the only possible answer is: stop with the carnage,” he said.

“Palestinians and Israelis cry out for peace. Everyone wants an end to it, and what we see is an even greater, totally and absolutely unacceptable climb,” he added. “I appeal to Israel that stops Gaza’s indiscriminate destruction.”

The European Union warned the earthly offensive will increase the number of deaths and destruction, as well as worse a “catastrophic” humanitarian situation in the territory. A spokesman for the bloc also pointed out that the situation endangers the lives of Israeli hostages.

Originally published by DW on 09/16/2025