The Israeli army began a ground operation yesterday, Monday, to capture Gaza City, according to a report by the news site Axios, citing sources in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) tanks have penetrated into the heart of the city.

After weeks of escalating airstrikes on Gaza City, including the demolition of numerous high-rise buildings, it appears the IDF has reached a turning point toward a larger-scale ground invasion.

In recent days, the IDF had gradually expanded air raids in and around the city, but had not yet sent ground forces into the densely populated northern city, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are believed to be sheltering.

The Israeli military says about 300,000 Palestinians have left Gaza City in recent weeks. The army has urged all residents to evacuate, though many remain, fearing that other areas of the Strip are no safer.

According to eyewitnesses cited by AFP, Israel bombarded Gaza City heavily in the early hours of Tuesday, after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed support for Israel’s assault on the devastated area.
“There are fierce, relentless bombings in Gaza City and the danger keeps growing,” said eyewitness Ahmed Ghazal, adding that homes had been destroyed and residents were trapped under rubble.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense agency, run by Hamas, told AFP that “the bombardments continue heavily across Gaza City and the number of dead and injured keeps rising.”

“Gaza is burning”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz today stressed his country’s determination to continue its offensive in the Gaza Strip, following the army’s intense overnight bombardments of Gaza City and its outskirts.

“Gaza is burning. The army is striking terrorist infrastructure with an iron fist and our soldiers are fighting bravely to create the necessary conditions for the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” Katz posted on X.

“We will not retreat until the mission is completed,” he added.

Hostage families protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence

At the same time, families of hostages in Gaza gathered outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem as “Operation Gideon’s Chariot II” began in Gaza City, to protest the move and raise awareness of the danger to hostages, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced late Monday.

“After 710 nights in captivity by terrorists, tonight could be the last night for hostages who are barely surviving and our last chance to locate and recover the dead for a proper burial,” their statement read.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu bears personal responsibility for the fate of the hostages. The people of Israel will not forgive the sacrifice of the hostages and soldiers.”

Hamas responds to Trump over ‘human shields’

Hamas issued a statement responding to U.S. President Donald Trump, who earlier claimed the militant group had moved Israeli hostages from underground shelters and would use them as “human shields” to prevent the IDF from capturing Gaza City.

Hamas said Trump’s comments show “blatant bias in favor of Zionist propaganda.”

The group asserted that Trump knows full well it is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is destroying all chances of reaching a deal to end the war in Gaza.

Hamas added that it holds the U.S. — along with Israel — responsible for escalating the war.

“War criminal Netanyahu bears full responsibility for the lives of his captives in the Gaza Strip,” the group said, adding that the capture of Gaza City endangers the lives of hostages.

“Washington knows that Netanyahu is sabotaging any chance of an agreement, most recently by attempting to assassinate the negotiating delegation in Qatar while they were discussing Trump’s final proposal.”