On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Israeli forces launched a large scale ground offensive in Gaza City, dramatically intensifying the months-long conflict with Hamas. Infantry units and armored vehicles moved into the densely packed streets of the city as airstrikes pounded neighborhoods throughout the night. The attacks sent waves of panic through residents and forced thousands into makeshift shelters. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the scene with stark brevity: “Gaza is burning.” He added that the operation was aimed at dismantling Hamas’s infrastructure and facilitating the release of hostages held within the enclave.
The offensive followed evacuation orders for Gaza’s northern and central districts, prompting an estimated 350,000 residents to flee south. Many, however, remained, either unable or unwilling to leave. Those who stayed faced bombardments and the hazards of urban combat. Gaza’s health authorities reported dozens of fatalities in the first hours, along with hundreds of injuries. Hospitals, already strained from weeks of prior attacks, struggled to manage the influx of patients amid shortages of medical supplies and damage to their facilities. Physicians described patients arriving with severe trauma, while debris from destroyed buildings hindered rescue efforts.
Civilian life has been shattered. Homes, schools, and markets have been reduced to rubble. Families have sought refuge in overcrowded mosques, schools, and United Nations facilities, with access to water, electricity, and food severely curtailed.
The psychological toll has been immense. Mariam Abu Salah, a mother of four, described the chaos of navigating the bombardment with her children: “At night, we didn’t sleep from the shock. My children kept asking: ‘Where will we sleep? What do we put on the ground? Do we sleep on the bare floors?’”
The international response has been one of urgent concern. A United Nations Commission of Inquiry released a report suggesting that Israel’s actions in Gaza could constitute genocide, allegations the Israeli government dismissed as “scandalous” and “false.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on regional partners, including Qatar, to continue providing humanitarian assistance, while urging restraint to limit civilian casualties. European and Middle Eastern governments have also expressed alarm, though substantive intervention has been limited. Human rights organizations have warned that the indiscriminate nature of the airstrikes places civilians at extreme risk, particularly those unable to evacuate.
Analysts caution that the escalation threatens to exacerbate regional instability. Gaza City’s densely built environment makes military operations particularly hazardous, increasing the likelihood of civilian casualties and the collapse of vital infrastructure. Talks regarding humanitarian corridors and ceasefires are reportedly underway, but no agreements have been reached, leaving tens of thousands trapped in areas under active assault.
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