The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched a new ground offensive into Gaza City, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. The operation aims to dismantle Hamas infrastructure and consolidate gains from the previous Operation Gideon’s Chariots. The IDF warns residents to leave the area, with over 350,000 people having already evacuated, though estimates vary.
Heavy strikes have led to numerous casualties, with Shifa Hospital reporting 34 deaths and dozens injured. The offensive continues amid rising tensions and a lack of progress in ceasefire negotiations. The latest assault follows a week in which the Israeli air force struck more than 850 targets in Gaza City, killing what it described as hundreds of Hamas fighters and destroying infrastructure meant to blunt a ground incursion. The strikes, it said, were meant to degrade Hamas’s defenses and prepare the battlefield for advancing troops.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity under military guidelines, told The Associated Press that about 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas militants remain in Gaza City, along with a network of tunnels. The operation is part of an expanded ground operation under ‘Gideon’s Chariots II,’ with multiple divisions advancing to secure the city. The IDF estimates that 350,000 residents have fled, contradicting a UN estimate of over 220,000 Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza.
Residents reported heavy strikes across Gaza City on Tuesday morning, with Shifa Hospital receiving the bodies of 34 people killed in the strikes. Dozens more wounded also arrived at the facility. The IDF’s warning comes as the situation in the region remains volatile, with the conflict showing no signs of abating despite diplomatic efforts. The State Department’s recent meeting in Doha with Qatari officials highlights the international concerns over the escalating conflict.