Israel Launches Expanded Ground Offensive in Gaza City
Gaza City, Sept. 16, 2025 — Israel launched a major new ground offensive into Gaza City on Tuesday, warning residents to flee south as its forces pressed into the Palestinian territory’s largest urban center after weeks of airstrikes and escalating clashes.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said multiple divisions advanced under what it described as an “expanded ground operation” aimed at dismantling Hamas infrastructure, consolidating earlier territorial gains, and tightening control over Gaza’s north. The push builds on Operation Gideon’s Chariots, a campaign in southern and central Gaza where the military said it had cleared Hamas strongholds before turning north.
“Gaza City is now a dangerous combat zone,” IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee warned in Arabic-language messages broadcast Tuesday. He urged civilians to evacuate south via the Al-Rashid coastal corridor.
Heavy Bombardment Ahead of Troop Movements
The offensive follows an intensive week of Israeli airstrikes that the military said targeted more than 850 sites across Gaza City. According to the IDF, those strikes killed “hundreds of Hamas fighters” and destroyed defensive infrastructure designed to slow a ground invasion. Palestinian residents described a night of relentless bombardment. “The bombing did not stop for a single moment,” said Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of Gaza’s Shifa Hospital. Hospital staff reported receiving 34 bodies and dozens of wounded by midday Tuesday. An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, estimated that 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas fighters remain in Gaza City, along with an entrenched network of tunnels.
Civilians Ordered to Evacuate
The IDF said an estimated 350,000 people, roughly one-third of Gaza City’s prewar population, have fled the city. The figure is higher than a U.N. estimate issued Monday, which put the number closer to 220,000 displaced over the past month. Long convoys of vehicles piled high with mattresses and personal belongings moved south Tuesday, while others fled on foot along the coastal road. Many said food, water, and shelter remain scarce in already overcrowded southern areas.
Regional and International Response
The offensive has further dimmed prospects for a ceasefire despite months of diplomacy. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Tuesday in Doha with Qatari leaders, thanking them for mediation efforts while reiterating American support for Qatar’s security. Qatar has served as a key intermediary between Israel and Hamas in past negotiations, but the scale of Israel’s new incursion makes near-term de-escalation unlikely.
High Stakes, Rising Costs
Israel says the operation is necessary to root out Hamas, which launched last year’s surprise cross-border assault that killed more than 1,200 people. Critics warn the latest offensive risks deepening the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where infrastructure is shattered and basic supplies are running out. With tens of thousands displaced and civilian casualties mounting, international monitors are calling for urgent humanitarian corridors. For now, the IDF’s tanks and infantry continue pressing into Gaza City, signaling one of the most significant escalations since the war began.
Sources
- Associated Press – Israel’s military says its expanded operation in Gaza City has begun
- Reuters – Israel launches ground operation in Gaza City
- The Guardian – Israel launches ground offensive deep inside Gaza City
