Translated with AI
The Israeli army launched a ground offensive on Gaza City on Tuesday night after weeks of intense bombing and airstrikes, according to Israeli and Arab media outlets, as well as the American publication Axios.
According to Axios, anonymous Israeli officials announced the start of the offensive. The Jerusalem Post noted that it could "confirm" the operation's start without disclosing its sources. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera and the Times of Israel, citing Palestinian sources, reported that Israeli tanks were advancing toward the city center.
AFP reports that local residents say Israeli forces are conducting ongoing bombing raids, but the agency has not provided any confirmation of ground advances by army units.
The Israeli government made the decision to occupy Gaza City in early August. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers have repeatedly stated that the area contains key strongholds of the radical Hamas movement, which they plan to destroy.
Israeli authorities called on the city's civilian population to evacuate to the central and southern areas of the Strip. However, according to media estimates, only about 300,000 of Gaza City's approximately one million residents have fled.
The situation in the Gaza Strip remains extremely tense: in recent hours, according to media reports, the Israeli army has significantly intensified attacks on positions in the city.
