Gaza (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Israeli military confirmed the launch of its expected ground operation into Gaza City on Tuesday. An Israeli military spokesperson stated that the Israeli Defence Forces had moved into the primary stage of their ground operation into Gaza City, the primary city in the enclave, where Israel has instructed hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate.
Israel has stepped up its bombing of the city in recent days—destroying residential buildings, killing hundreds, and displacing tens of thousands of civilians. There were few details in the military news release, but it said troops began “dismantling Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza City.” Residents are advised to leave.
“Gaza is burning,”
Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on X.
“The IDF strikes with an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure, and IDF soldiers are fighting bravely to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”
How is the US responding to Israel’s military escalation?
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who flew in for a visit on Monday, provided what appeared to be a nod of approval to the Israeli government’s decision to abandon negotiations for a cease-fire and use its military might to crush Hamas.
While the United States wanted to see a diplomatic end to the war, he said,
“I think we have to be prepared for the possibility that’s not going to happen.”
At a minimum, Rubio endorsed Israel’s demand for Hamas to lay down its arms and free all remaining hostages in one sweeping act of goodwill as the only way to obtain an end to the war against Hamas.
What did the UN investigation conclude about Israel’s actions?
On the other hand, an independent United Nations investigation has found that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in what it characterized as the “most authoritative UN finding to date.”
How many Palestinians have been killed or injured so far?
According to Israel’s military’s former top commander, the toll of slain or injured Palestinians in Gaza is over 10%, which correlates with reporting from the Palestinian Health Ministry. As of mid-September 2025, the Gaza Health Ministry reported at least 64871 Palestinians who have been slain and around 164,610 injured in the ongoing civil conflict since October 2023.
Many of the killed and injured either lie trapped in former buildings and homes under rubble and may remain undiscovered for lifetimes. The humanitarian crisis is worse than imaginable, with the northern part of Gaza declared a famine and anticipated to spread further.
