On September 16, the Israeli army launched a ground offensive to seize the city of Gaza, the largest urban center of the land. The move, cited by Israeli officials, comes after weeks of heavy airstrikes targeting the area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously ordered the takeover of Gaza, which he described as a Hamas stronghold. Over the past few weeks, Israeli forces have surrounded the Gaza Strip, causing a humanitarian disaster with devastation, many people having to flee their homes and food and clean water shortages. The Israeli army has approached the city center, where about 1 million Palestinians have taken refuge.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on social media X that Gaza is on fire and affirmed that Israeli soldiers are fighting with steel fists to destroy Hamas infrastructure and create conditions for rescuing hostages. However, it is unclear whether the statement directly refers to the ground operation.
The conflict began with a surprise attack by Hamas in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel said there are still 48 hostages in Gaza, of which 20 are still alive.
Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, while international monitoring agencies warned of hunger spreading to many areas. Israel currently controls about 75% of the Gaza Strip.
In addition to activities in Gaza, last week Israel also carried out airstrikes targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, expanding the range of attacks across the Middle East.
