Israel’s defence minister says ‘Gaza is burning’ as strikes intensify

The Israeli military intensified strikes on Gaza City overnight, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday, adding the assault aims to secure the release of hostages and defeat the Palestinian militant organization Hamas.

“Gaza is burning,” Katz wrote on Telegram, vowing Israel would not relent or back down “until the mission is completed.”

The US news site Axios cited Israeli officials as saying the operation marked the start of a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip’s largest city.

Israeli warplanes carried out near-continuous strikes on Gaza City overnight, accompanied by artillery fire, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Palestinian media said tanks later entered the city, where hundreds of thousands of people are believed to remain. The Israeli military has not confirmed this.

The Israeli news site Walla reported, citing a staff member of the military general staff, that “an intensive operation has begun, involving multiple strikes against numerous terrorist targets,” and added that “this is just the beginning.”

Israeli media said the heavy explosions in northern Gaza were also heard in Israel.

Relatives fear for lives of hostages

A forum representing relatives of hostages held by Hamas expressed deep concern over reports of the city’s takeover, saying that after 710 nights in captivity, this could be the last night for the hostages.

The statement accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deciding to sacrifice them for political reasons, ignoring assessments from the military chief and security agencies.

Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, on whom his political survival depends, oppose a ceasefire.

Israel’s security Cabinet approved the takeover of Gaza City in August. The military has called on all of the city’s estimated 1 million residents to move to so-called humanitarian zones further south in the blockaded coastal strip.

Ahead of the offensive, more than 300,000 people had already fled Gaza City, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources.