Israel advances deeper into Gaza City center: New details of IDF offensive
Illustrative photo: Israeli forces attacking Gaza (Getty Images)
Israeli forces continue their offensive on Gaza City, advancing toward the center of the largest city in the Gaza Strip, The Guardian reports.
According to an Israeli military spokesperson, for several weeks, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers had been positioned on the outskirts of Gaza, but during an operation on the night of September 16, they moved closer to the city center.
"Last night, we began deepening our operations deeper into Gaza City. It’s a gradual thing. It is not a black or white thing. But yesterday was a big step forward in deployment and also in operations on the ground," the spokesperson said.
Israel has now entered the "main phase" of the plan for Gaza, with the IDF’s goal being to dismantle Hamas control in the city.
"We are expecting to see on the battlefield somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 terrorists in Gaza City. Some of them, we understand, have been there since the beginning of the war and are preparing to engage with our forces above ground and underground," an IDF spokesperson said.
He added that Israel will gradually increase the number of troops in Gaza City, as roughly 40% of residents are believed to have already fled to the southern part of the enclave.
The IDF has urged civilians to move to the al-Mawasi area in the south, which The Guardian notes, despite being designated a "safe zone," has often been targeted by Israeli airstrikes.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already declared the start of a "significant operation in Gaza."
Gaza operation
A few weeks ago, Israeli officials announced a new stage in the campaign against Hamas militants, with the ultimate goal of bringing Gaza under full Israeli control.
This morning, reports said Israel launched massive airstrikes on Gaza. Against this backdrop, protests erupted in Jerusalem from relatives of those still held hostage by Hamas.
