Jerusalem, Israel said Tuesday it had launched an expanded ground offensive on Gaza City, pressing ahead despite mounting international outcry. The assault, which Israeli officials described as a critical phase in the war, triggered a mass exodus from Gaza’s largest urban center, home to nearly one million people.
Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were targeting “terror infrastructures” while working to secure the release of hostages and defeat Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the operation a “critical stage” in the conflict, framing Gaza City as a key Hamas stronghold.
The incursion began on the city’s outskirts after a week of intensified bombardments that leveled high-rise buildings. Residents reported some of the heaviest strikes in months. “Fear, fear, it’s all fear. Explosions over our heads, all day,” said Maysar Al Adwan, a resident fleeing the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood.
The United Nations and aid groups warned the assault would worsen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, where famine has already been declared in some areas. UNICEF said 450,000 children in Gaza City face famine and trauma as food, water, and medical supplies collapse. UN human rights chief Volker Türk urged the international community to act, calling the escalation “totally and utterly unacceptable.”
On the ground, Palestinians streamed south with what little they could carry. CNN footage showed families hauling mattresses and blankets through rubble. Crowds jammed the Al-Rashid coastal highway and Salah al-Din Road, where cars barely moved. Many said it was not their first displacement. “We’re fleeing the destruction and the ruins. But we’re going from death to death,” said Ahmad Abul-hal from atop a pickup truck.
The assault came despite Israel’s initial plan to wait until evacuations were complete and aid distribution expanded. Of 16 promised humanitarian centers, only five are operational, forcing many to walk hours for food. Survivors described harrowing escapes. “We said by God, we will die here. It’s a miracle that we left,” said Rawan Al Salmoni, a mother of four.
At least 93 Palestinians were reported killed in northern Gaza on Tuesday, and more than 100 across the enclave, according to Gaza health authorities. The IDF estimates 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas fighters remain in Gaza City, less than one percent of the population, complicating efforts to distinguish militants from civilians in flight.
The offensive coincided with a damning UN inquiry that accused Israel of committing genocide, alleging Palestinians were targeted collectively. Israel rejected the findings as “distorted and false,” calling for the inquiry to be disbanded.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Jerusalem, reaffirmed Washington’s support for Israel and demanded Hamas release 48 hostages. He suggested a “concise military operation” may be required to eliminate the group, despite doubts over such an outcome.
Hamas condemned the offensive as an “unprecedented barbaric escalation” in violation of international law. With Gaza City now engulfed in destruction like Rafah and Khan Younis before it, observers warn Israel’s campaign may be far from decisive, and further battles could lie ahead.
