Israel unleashes intense ground assault on Gaza City

JERUSALEM/CAIRO: Israeli forces unleashed a long-threatened and intense ground assault on Gaza City on Tuesday.

Israeli officials declared that “Gaza is burning,” while Palestinians described the bombardment as the most intense they had faced in two years of war.

An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) official said ground troops were moving deeper into the enclave’s main city and that troop numbers would rise in coming days to confront up to 3,000 Hamas fighters the IDF said remained there.

“Gaza is burning,” Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on X. “The IDF strikes with an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure, and soldiers are fighting bravely to create the conditions for the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”

Bodies trapped under rubble, thousands flee

Before the assault, Israel’s government defied European leaders threatening sanctions and ignored warnings from some of its own commanders that the move could be a costly mistake.

US President Donald Trump backed Israel, warning Hamas would have “hell to pay” if it used hostages as human shields.

The United Nations Commission of Inquiry said Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel dismissed the finding as “scandalous” and “fake.”

Gaza health officials said at least 50 people were killed on Tuesday, most in Gaza City, as airstrikes swept across neighbourhoods and tanks advanced. Footage showed residents clawing through the rubble of flattened buildings to recover victims, including children.

US promises ‘unwavering support’ to Israel in Gaza goals

Israel urged civilians to evacuate, prompting long columns of Palestinians to stream south in donkey carts, rickshaws, vehicles or on foot. “They are destroying residential towers, the pillars of the city, mosques, schools and roads,” said Abu Tamer, 70, trudging south with his family. “They are wiping out our memories.”

Rising humanitarian toll, pressure on Netanyahu

Some residents refused to leave, saying there was nowhere safe. “It is like escaping from death towards death,” said Um Mohammad, who lives in the suburb of Sabra.

The IDF estimated 40 per cent of Gaza City’s residents had fled. Hamas said around 525,000 people had been displaced from the city.

Gaza’s health ministry reported three more deaths from malnutrition in the past 24 hours, raising the toll from hunger to at least 428. Israel has disputed the figures, saying the extent of starvation has been exaggerated.

Pakistan accuses Israel of sabotaging Gaza peace efforts

Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir reportedly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek a ceasefire deal, warning the Gaza City assault could endanger hostages or become a “death trap” for troops. Families of captives staged fresh protests outside Netanyahu’s residence on Monday night.

Hamas’s October 2023 attack killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, Israeli tallies show. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 64,000 Palestinians have since been killed.