Israel unleashed a long-threatened ground assault on Gaza City on Tuesday, declaring "Gaza is burning" as Palestinians there described the most intense bombardment they had faced in two years of war.
An Israel Defence Forces official said ground troops were moving deeper into the enclave's main city, and that the number of soldiers would rise in coming days to confront up to 3,000 Hamas combatants the IDF believes are still in the city. "Gaza is burning," defence minister Israel Katz posted 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."
In launching the assault, Israel's government defied European leaders threatening sanctions, and warnings from even some of Israel's own military commanders that it could be a costly mistake. But Washington offered its apparent blessing, conveyed by secretary of state Marco Rubio who left for Qatar just before the attacks.
Thousands flee
Gaza health officials reported at least 40 people killed, most in Gaza City, in the assault's early hours on Tuesday, as air strikes swept across the city and tanks advanced. Where a missile had destroyed two multi-storey residential buildings in the middle of the night, people clambered over an immense mound of dislocated concrete to pry out victims, footage obtained by Reuters showed. A woman cried as a small child's body was pulled from the wreckage, hastily wrapped in a green blanket and carried away.
US offers support
Hours before the escalation, Rubio offered US backing at a press conference alongside Netanyahu. While the United States wished for a diplomatic end to the war, "we have to be prepared for the possibility that's not going to happen", he said. But other longstanding allies have recoiled at what they see as disproportionate harm to civilians.
In Brussels, a spokesperson for the EU executive said it would agree on Wednesday to impose new sanctions on Israel, including suspending certain trade provisions. British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper called the assault "reckless and appalling" and called for an immediate ceasefire. Britain and France are expected this month to become the first major Western powers to recognise Palestinian independence. The area of Tel Al-Hawa, in the southwest of Gaza City, was being pounded by strikes from air, ground and sea, according to witnesses reached via text message.
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An Israel Defence Forces official said ground troops were moving deeper into the enclave's main city, and that the number of soldiers would rise in coming days to confront up to 3,000 Hamas combatants the IDF believes are still in the city. "Gaza is burning," defence minister Israel Katz posted 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."
In launching the assault, Israel's government defied European leaders threatening sanctions, and warnings from even some of Israel's own military commanders that it could be a costly mistake. But Washington offered its apparent blessing, conveyed by secretary of state Marco Rubio who left for Qatar just before the attacks.
Thousands flee
Gaza health officials reported at least 40 people killed, most in Gaza City, in the assault's early hours on Tuesday, as air strikes swept across the city and tanks advanced. Where a missile had destroyed two multi-storey residential buildings in the middle of the night, people clambered over an immense mound of dislocated concrete to pry out victims, footage obtained by Reuters showed. A woman cried as a small child's body was pulled from the wreckage, hastily wrapped in a green blanket and carried away.
US offers support
Hours before the escalation, Rubio offered US backing at a press conference alongside Netanyahu. While the United States wished for a diplomatic end to the war, "we have to be prepared for the possibility that's not going to happen", he said. But other longstanding allies have recoiled at what they see as disproportionate harm to civilians.
In Brussels, a spokesperson for the EU executive said it would agree on Wednesday to impose new sanctions on Israel, including suspending certain trade provisions. British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper called the assault "reckless and appalling" and called for an immediate ceasefire. Britain and France are expected this month to become the first major Western powers to recognise Palestinian independence. The area of Tel Al-Hawa, in the southwest of Gaza City, was being pounded by strikes from air, ground and sea, according to witnesses reached via text message.
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( Originally published on Sep 16, 2025 )
