The operation to occupy what is believed to be the last remaining Hamas stronghold has been confirmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF
Israel has launched a ground offensive in Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Tuesday.
Speaking at the opening session of his corruption trial, Netanyahu asked to be excused from testimony due to the “important things happening,” declaring that the IDF “has begun an intensive operation in Gaza City.”
The military later confirmed that two IDF divisions, numbering tens of thousands of troops, had begun expanded ground operations overnight as the army entered a “new stage” of its campaign against Hamas. The IDF said the 162nd and 98th divisions were leading the push and that the 36th division would join in the coming days.
The escalation follows the Israeli Security Cabinet’s approval last month of plans to seize Gaza City – one of the few areas not under IDF control – in a move that could pave the way for a full takeover of the Palestinian enclave.
While a ground assault had been anticipated in October, the early phases of the offensive, dubbed ‘Gideon’s Chariots B’, began weeks ago with intensified strikes on alleged Hamas positions, including high-rise towers, as well as ground raids on the outskirts of Gaza City and several neighborhoods to the west.
Palestinian media reported heavy strikes on Gaza City and its outskirts on Monday night, with some outlets claiming that IDF tanks had entered.
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