Israel Launches Major Assault on Gaza City, Tanks in Center

The Israeli army has launched an attack on Gaza City, reports the Axios portal. Military forces are launching missile strikes across the entire territory, from south to north. In the first half hour after the start of the operation, about forty powerful explosions occurred. Israeli tanks have entered the city center.

It was previously reported that the Israeli authorities had called on all civilians in the Gaza Strip to leave the area and move south to humanitarian zones. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), as of September 15, about 300,000 Palestinians have left the city.

Information about the start of a large-scale attack on Gaza is also confirmed by Al Jazeera. According to the media outlet, residents of the city report that they are under "heavy and incessant" bombing amid reports that the Israeli armed forces have begun a ground offensive to capture the northern urban center.

The fact of the attack was also confirmed by official Israel. "Gaza is on fire. We will not retreat and will not ease the pressure until our mission is complete," stated Defense Minister Israel Katz.

It should be noted that the head of the Mossad intelligence service and the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces had advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from the operation. They had warned that the attack could endanger the lives of Israeli hostages and lead to heavy losses for the army.

Israel's war on Gaza since October 2023 has killed at least 64,871 people and wounded 164,610. Thousands more are believed to be under the rubble. During the October 7 attacks, 1,139 people were killed in Israel, and about 200 were taken captive.