Mass Casualties Reported as Israel Launches Gaza City Offensive

Israel has launched a full-scale ground offensive into Gaza City, in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has framed as a decisive step to eliminate Hamas. The campaign, which began on Monday with heavy airstrikes followed by the entry of Israeli tanks and infantry, marks a sharp escalation in a war that has already stretched for nearly two years and devastated the enclave.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, almost 65,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, have been killed since Israel’s military response to the October 7 attack. The death toll is expected to rise further as fighting moves into Gaza’s most densely populated urban center.

Over the past week, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intensified its bombardments, demolishing high-rise buildings it claimed were being used for military purposes. Ahead of the ground advance, the military urged the roughly one million residents of Gaza City to head south toward designated “humanitarian areas.” Israeli officials said around 300,000 have already fled, but many remain trapped. On Monday evening, shortly before Israeli tanks entered the city, the air force carried out one of the heaviest bombardments to date.

Despite the government’s determination, Israel’s security establishment has voiced deep concerns. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, along with the heads of Mossad, Shin Bet, and military intelligence, warned Netanyahu that an invasion could endanger Israeli hostages, lead to high IDF casualties, and ultimately fail to dismantle Hamas. They also cautioned that occupying Gaza could leave Israel directly responsible for governing two million Palestinians.

The offensive began just hours after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Rubio, attending a settler ceremony in a tunnel near East Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, later said Washington still prefers a negotiated outcome but acknowledged that Israel may see no choice but to press ahead. He warned that time was running out to reach any kind of settlement, stressing that “the only thing worse than a war is a protracted one that goes on forever.” Two Israeli officials said Rubio gave Netanyahu a green light for the operation, urging only that it be swift. A U.S. official separately noted: “It’s not Trump’s war, it’s Bibi’s war, and he will own whatever happens next.”

President Donald Trump also weighed in, warning Hamas not to harm the 20 Israeli hostages still believed to be alive. Citing reports that captives had been moved aboveground to act as human shields, Trump threatened severe consequences: “Don’t let this happen or, ALL ‘BETS’ ARE OFF. RELEASE ALL HOSTAGES NOW!” Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “unflinching support” in Israel’s campaign.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared bluntly on X: “Gaza is burning.” His words coincided with reports of widespread destruction and mounting civilian casualties across the Strip. At least 50 people, including several children, were killed in strikes on Monday alone. Attacks targeted homes, makeshift shelters, and public spaces in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and central refugee camps. Among the dead was Sultana Rawhi Mushtaha, a seven-year-old girl whose father had been a senior Hamas leader. In western Gaza, bombs struck tents where displaced families were taking refuge, killing journalists and children among others.

Palestinian medical sources described a relentless series of airstrikes and shelling, with people shot as they waited for humanitarian aid. Families were buried in rubble, while others were cut down in places meant to be safe havens.

The assault is unfolding as Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice, while the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens into famine. At the same time, families of Israeli hostages accused Netanyahu of sacrificing their loved ones for political gain, warning that the ground invasion could doom efforts to bring them home.