To defeat: Israel launched a large-scale offensive on Gaza
On the night of September 16, it became known that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had intensified its ground offensive on Gaza City. The purpose of the attack is to occupy it and completely eliminate the Hamas strike wing and free the hostages. The Israeli Air Force attacked the city on Monday evening, and then tanks entered it. The attack on the city intensified after the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Israel. Read more about what is happening in Gaza in the Izvestia article.
Occupation of Gaza: what is known, the latest news
On Monday evening, September 15, the IDF launched a ground offensive against Gaza City in order to occupy it. This was reported by Axios with reference to Israeli officials.
"The Israeli military launched a ground offensive on Monday to occupy Gaza City," the portal reports.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said after the overnight strikes on the Gaza Strip that the city of "Gaza is on fire" and confirmed plans to act until the defeat of the Palestinian Hamas movement and the release of hostages.
"The gas is on fire. The IDF is striking at the terrorist infrastructure with an iron fist, and the IDF soldiers are fighting valiantly, creating conditions for the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas. We will not retreat or weaken the onslaught until our mission is completed," Katz wrote on the social network X.
Agence France-Presse, citing eyewitnesses, also reports that the city is under "massive and endless" bombing.
According to media reports, the Israeli army deployed drones and helicopters, as well as opened artillery fire. Residents of the city are being massively evacuated from the attacked areas, the publication says.
After the start of the large—scale offensive, it was also reported that on September 15, 62 people were killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of shelling, most of them in Gaza City.
Support for the Gaza operation
On Monday evening, the Israeli Air Force launched massive airstrikes on the city, and shortly after that, Israeli tanks entered the city. According to the portal, the Israeli offensive began a few hours after a meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior members of his cabinet.
According to two Israeli officials, Rubio confirmed to the Israeli prime minister that the United States supports the ground operation, but the administration of US President Donald Trump wants it to be carried out quickly and ended as soon as possible.
Netanyahu said on September 8 that Israel would soon launch a large-scale offensive on Gaza. At the same time, it was announced that local residents should leave the city (about 300 thousand out of a million left).
According to Axios, senior Israeli military officials had previously advised Netanyahu to refrain from an operation in Gaza City, arguing that an offensive could endanger the lives of Israeli hostages in the city, lead to heavy losses for the IDF and force Israel to establish military control over the city. In addition, they stressed that the operation may not allow the liquidation of the Palestinian Hamas movement.
Protests against the large-scale offensive on Gaza
After reports of the Israeli army's offensive on Gaza, it also became known that the families of the Israeli hostages in the enclave arrived in Jerusalem and spent the night at Netanyahu's residence, expressing fears that their loved ones might die there due to the attack. This was reported by the organization Forum of Hostage Families. They also reported that due to media reports about a planned protest outside the prime minister's residence, Netanyahu left it within a few minutes.
"I have one interest — for this country to wake up and return my child along with 47 other hostages, both alive and dead, and for our soldiers to return home. He doesn't like hearing us here, so he ran away like a coward. We will follow him everywhere, day and night. It's over," the mother of one of the hostages, Einav Tsengauker, said at the Prime Minister's residence.
In addition, the protesters temporarily blocked traffic on the streets of Jerusalem.
According to the families of the abducted, their loved ones are in the Israeli bombing zone, and the operation in Gaza puts their lives at risk. It is also important to note that earlier, the Israeli state television and radio company Kan reported that Hamas had moved hostages from tunnels to the surface in order to use them as human shields and hinder the actions of the Israeli army.
Donald Trump responded to this: "I just read a report that Hamas has moved hostages from tunnels to the surface of the earth to use them as human shields against an Israeli ground attack. I hope the Hamas leaders understand what they're getting themselves into if they do this. This is a human horror, the likes of which very few have seen. Do not let this happen, otherwise all "bets" will be canceled. Release all the hostages now."
Intensification of the attack on Gaza on September 14
After Marco Rubio's arrival in Israel, it was reported that the country's military had intensified attacks on the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Rubio himself said before the trip that he would ask Israeli officials for an answer on their view on further actions in the enclave after the Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar, which nullified all efforts to resolve the conflict.
It is important to note that Rubio's visit took place despite US President Donald Trump's anger towards Netanyahu over the Israeli strike on Doha.
On September 9, the IDF and the General Security Service (SHABAK) announced that they had attacked the Hamas leadership, which was located in the Qatari capital of Doha. Qatar then confirmed the information about the Israeli strikes and condemned Israel's actions, calling them a "cowardly attack on residential buildings" where members of the Hamas politburo lived.
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