Gaza ‘Is Burning,’ Israeli Defense Minister Says

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Gaza “burned” because Israeli forces “struck with an iron fist”, apparently at the launch of an expected offensive for a long time to grasp the city of Gaza.

Why it matters

The Israeli army says that it controls around 75% of Gaza. The majority of its population of approximately 2 million has been moved several times in the last 22 months, after attacks on October 7, 2023 in Hamas which have cost the lives of around 1,200 people, most civilians.

Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza since then, has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Enclave health officials, who warn that famine settles down.

What to know

“Gaza burns. The FDIs hit an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure, and the TSAhal soldiers are courageously fighting to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” said Katz in an article on X, originally in Hebrew, referring to the defense forces of Israel.

“We will not give in and we will not come back – until the mission is finished,” said Katz.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel needed to paralyze Hamas’ capacities in the city to avoid a rehearsal of October 7, 2023, which sparked the war.

Israel declared the largest city of Gaza a combat area on August 29 and has since urged residents to leave.

Israel announced on August 8 a plan to take over the city of Gaza and possibly implement “the control of Israeli security” from the entire Gaza Strip, arousing generalized criticism, including certain Western governments.

Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Australia have published a joint declaration rejecting the plan, claiming that it would “aggravate” the already “catastrophic” situation in Gaza.

Katz expressed a striking warning in Hamas on August 22, threatening to transform Gaza City “into Rafah and Beit Hanoun”, which means leaving it in ruins, unless Hamas accepts the conditions of Israel to end the war.

Gaza City is in the north of the coastal enclave of 26 miles and was devastated by Israeli military strikes in the last 22 months. At least 50,000 reservists must be called for the operation, bringing the total force of the troops to 120,000.

The Israeli military plan for its offensive to take up the city of Gaza will focus on “terrorist infrastructure”, in particular a tunnel network, and ensuring the release of all hostages, said an Israeli military official in mid-August.

This is a development article. Updates to follow.