Israel began a major, new military offensive against Gaza City overnight. Residents on the ground reported relentless shelling and airstrikes. The Israeli Defence Ministry has just ratified an escalation of that offensive. Their goal with this operation appears to be capturing the core of Gaza City itself. Defence Minister Israel Katz has ordered the deployment of more troops into the area, further intensifying the conflict that has already claimed over 62,000 Palestinian lives since October 2023.
The latest military actions follow Israel’s mobilization of 60,000 reservists to further bolster its offensive. In fact, most reserve soldiers are not expected to finally show up for duty until September. This considerable delay begs the question of whether Israeli ground forces can support extended operations amid the very difficult urban environment of Gaza City. According to media reports civilians in the thousands are escaping the city’s eastern districts facing increasing bloodshed.
The situation in Gaza City has been described as “catastrophic” by Mustafa Qazzaat, chief of the Gaza municipality’s emergency committee. In the midst of this turmoil, residents like Ahmad al-Shanti have expressed their hopelessness under the continuous bombardment.
“The house shakes with us all night long – the sound of explosions, artillery, warplanes, ambulances, and cries for help is killing us.” – Ahmad al-Shanti
In response to these developments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by accelerating plans to retake Hamas strongholds. Israel military operations The Israeli military has publicly stated that it has begun incursion. MAP troops are supposedly defending the perimeter of Gaza City.
“We are not waiting. We have begun the preliminary actions, and already now, IDF (army) troops are holding the outskirts of Gaza City.” – Israeli military
Yet, this new high of violence has led to unprecedented international condemnation and outrage. In response, critics have blasted the offensive as disproportionate and potentially worsening a humanitarian crisis that’s already one of the worst in the world. Now US Senators are calling for an end to hypocrisy and media censorship. They call urgent attention to the need to protect journalists working in Gaza and to allow international media access to the region.
“The United States must make it clear to Israel that banning and censoring media organizations and targeting or threatening members of the press is unacceptable and must stop.” – US Senators
The international community has voiced increasing alarm, including the U.S., at Israel’s intention to broaden the scope of its military operations into Gaza. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, cautioned about the most certain death and destruction that such operations would entail.
“to avoid the death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause” – António Guterres
Israel’s ongoing actions and decisions have led to strong condemnation not just globally, but increasingly domestically. Critics inside Israel see Katz’s order for what it is — a dangerous, reckless step that risks further destabilizing the region. GAI Vice Chair Daniel Aghion characterized the Israeli government’s actions as “inflamatory and provocative,” calling it a “clumsy intervention.”
Deadly conflict continues between Israeli soldiers and Hamas members escalates in Gaza. At the same time, worries about the humanitarian effects on the civilians who remain trapped in the city are mounting. Thousands of families have already started to escape their homes in the face of the growing bombardment.