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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched a ground offensive on Gaza City and established control over its outskirts, according to military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin, according to The Jerusalem Post .
"Our troops already control the outskirts of the city," Defrin noted.
According to him, Israeli forces are simultaneously working to create conditions for the evacuation of civilians to safe areas, as well as to organize access to humanitarian aid and medical care for the enclave's population.
During a cabinet meeting on August 21, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Katz are expected to approve the final plan for the operation to take control of Gaza City. The Prime Minister's Office emphasized that Netanyahu ordered the operation's timeline be shortened "to expedite the elimination of Hamas's last strongholds and the final defeat of the terrorist organization."
The offensive began in response to Hamas's offer to release the 10 surviving Israeli hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire. Israel has not officially responded, but, as The Jerusalem Post notes, Tel Aviv hopes the troop advance will force Hamas to agree to a comprehensive agreement.
On August 8, Israel's political-military cabinet approved a plan to establish control over Gaza. The document calls for the evacuation of civilians and a large-scale ground operation against militants.
Currently, according to the IDF, Israel controls approximately 75% of the Gaza Strip. Until now, the army has avoided operations in the central part of the enclave, including Gaza City itself and the nearby refugee camps, as, according to Israeli data, this is where the majority of hostages are being held. These areas also contain the bulk of the enclave's population—over 2 million people.
Hamas leadership had previously warned that if Israeli troops advanced deeper into the city, the hostages could be executed.
Fighting in Gaza has been ongoing since October 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel. According to Israeli authorities, at least 1,200 people were killed and approximately 200 were taken hostage. According to local authorities in Gaza, the death toll in subsequent fighting has exceeded 60,000.
