On Tuesday, Israel announced the initiation of an expanded ground assault on Gaza City, defying widespread international condemnation. As the bombardment escalated, thousands of Palestinians fled the enclave's largest urban area, seeking safety amidst the chaos. This long-anticipated military incursion began on the outskirts of the city, where Israeli officials reported a significant increase in airstrikes and the destruction of high-rise buildings over the past week.
“Gaza is burning,” stated Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday. He emphasized that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were targeting terror infrastructures and working towards the dual objectives of securing the release of hostages and defeating Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the situation as a “critical stage” in the ongoing conflict, focusing particularly on Gaza City, which the Israeli government views as a key stronghold of Hamas.
The timing of the incursion has raised alarms, with the United Nations and various humanitarian organizations warning that the assault will exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis. Parts of Gaza have been officially declared to be experiencing famine conditions. Approximately one million people, nearly half of Gaza's population, reside in and around Gaza City, making the situation increasingly precarious.
In an attempt to mitigate civilian casualties, Israel has urged local residents to evacuate. However, reports indicate that only about 40% of the population has successfully left, a figure that CNN cannot independently verify. Netanyahu's decision to proceed with military operations, despite escalating international criticism and concerns voiced by his own security officials, illustrates his determination to continue the conflict on his own terms.
On Tuesday, an independent UN inquiry concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, claiming that civilians are being collectively targeted based on their identity as Palestinians. In response, Israel categorically rejected the report, labeling it as “distorted and false,” and called for the commission to be disbanded.
Previously, Gaza City had largely avoided the extensive destruction seen in other areas such as Rafah and Khan Younis. However, recent developments have changed that narrative dramatically. On Tuesday alone, at least 93 Palestinians were reported killed in northern Gaza, with casualties exceeding 100 across the enclave, according to the Gaza health ministry and local hospital authorities.
Residents of Gaza City, shaken by a night of heavy airstrikes, rushed to evacuate, carrying whatever belongings they could. Footage captured by CNN depicted the destruction of homes in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, with families navigating through rubble in search of shelter further south. Witnesses described the airstrikes as some of the most intense experienced in months.
Maysar Al Adwan, a resident of Gaza City, expressed his fear while carrying mattresses and blankets. “Fear, fear, it’s all fear,” he told CNN, recounting the explosions that kept him awake throughout the night. “Explosions over our heads, all day.” The Israeli military's plans anticipated that the assault would only commence after a significant portion of the population had been evacuated to the al-Mawasi area; however, only a fraction of the evacuation has occurred.
As Palestinians sought refuge, many faced the grim reality of repeated displacement. Rawan Al Salmoni, a mother of four, described her emotional exhaustion while sitting on the sidewalk near a destroyed building, clutching her toddler. “We thought we would die in the latest bombardment,” she said. “It’s a miracle that we left.”
Across central and northern Gaza, people packed their belongings and fled south, overwhelmed by the devastation. Crowds congested the Al-Rashid Street coastal highway, struggling to navigate a road filled with vehicles barely able to move. Ahmad Abul-hal, standing on a pickup truck, voiced the desperation of many: “Do you think we’re fleeing to go on a picnic? We’re fleeing the destruction and the ruins. But we’re going from death to death.”
The UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, urged the international community to intervene and prevent further escalation in Gaza City. “This carnage must stop and it has to stop at once,” Türk stated, emphasizing the need for a global call for peace. The Palestinian Authority (PA) echoed these sentiments, appealing for international intervention and urging the United States to take action against what they describe as a war crime against humanity.
Despite the widespread condemnation, Israel continues to receive support from the United States, as evidenced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Jerusalem amid the escalation. Rubio demanded that Hamas release the remaining hostages and expressed the possibility of a military operation to eliminate Hamas leadership, acknowledging that such an outcome remains unlikely.
Hamas has condemned the Gaza City offensive as an “unprecedented barbaric Zionist escalation,” asserting that it violates international norms and laws. The Israeli military estimates that there are between 2,000 and 3,000 Hamas militants currently in Gaza City, a number that poses a significant challenge for the IDF, considering it represents less than 1% of the local population.
“We are expecting to see in combat between 2,000 and 3,000 Hamas terrorists in Gaza City,” an Israeli military official stated. However, the lack of a mechanism to prevent these militants from blending in with the fleeing population complicates the situation further. The invasion of Gaza City may not yield a decisive outcome, as the official noted, “Gaza City is the main stronghold of Hamas at the moment.”
