Israel Launches Major Ground Assault on Gaza City Amidst Global Outcry and Escalating Humanitarian Crisis
Israel Launches Major Ground Assault on Gaza City Amidst Global Outcry and Escalating Humanitarian Crisis
Israel has initiated a significant ground assault on Gaza City, marking a major escalation in the conflict and proceeding despite widespread international condemnation. The incursion, which commenced on Tuesday, September 16, has intensified airstrikes and prompted a mass exodus of Palestinians from the enclave’s largest urban center, now facing a dire humanitarian situation.
Defense Minister Israel Katz affirmed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are targeting “terror infrastructures” with the goals of securing the release of hostages and defeating Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has characterized this phase as critical in the war against what his government views as Hamas’s last remaining strongholds. This operation moves forward despite mounting global pressure and grave concerns over an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with famine officially declared in parts of Gaza. An estimated one million people live in and around Gaza City, though only about 40% have reportedly evacuated.
The offensive coincides with an independent UN inquiry’s conclusion on Tuesday that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing the collective targeting of civilians. Israel has vehemently rejected this report as “distorted and false.” Civilians are fleeing under heavy bombardment, describing recent overnight strikes as the most intense in months. Aid efforts remain severely hampered, forcing displaced Palestinians to undertake arduous journeys for basic necessities.
International bodies, including UN human rights chief Volker Türk and the Palestinian Authority, have issued urgent calls for global intervention to halt the “carnage.” However, the operation has the explicit backing of the US under the Trump administration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirming the necessity of military action to eliminate Hamas. Hamas has condemned the Gaza City offensive as an “unprecedented barbaric Zionist escalation.” The IDF estimates between 2,000 and 3,000 Hamas militants within Gaza City, underscoring the complex challenge of military operations amidst a dense civilian population.
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