Earlier in the day, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “Gaza burns”, while independent experts mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council announced that Israel was committing a genocide in Gaza, thus joining an increasing international concert with similar accusations.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with military guidelines, said that the “main phase” of the operation in the city of Gaza had started, with the displacement of the suburbs to the center.
Air strikes bombed the city of Gaza before the operation, destroying residential towers. This official said that the Israeli army estimates that there are around 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas activists in the city, as well as tunnels used by the militant group.
“A very difficult night in Gaza”
Long lines of vehicles extended along the Gaza coastal road on Tuesday at the start of the offensive, with vehicles loaded with mattresses and personal effects, while others were fleeing on foot.
At the end of the current operation, a graph of the Israeli army suggested that its troops hoped to control the entire Gaza strip, with the exception of a large strip along the coast.
Palestinian residents reported heavy strikes in the city of Gaza on Tuesday morning.
At noon, the city’s Shifa hospital had received the bodies of 34 people killed in the strikes, said Dr. Rami Mhanna, a hospital official.
Dozens of injured people had also arrived at the establishment, he added. “A very difficult night in Gaza,” said Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of the hospital, at the Associated Press. “The bombings have not stopped for a moment”.
“Israel will not reach its objectives by military action alone”
The Israeli army radio reported that the Israeli army “began to extend the fighting field in the heart of the city of Gaza”.
The twelfth Israeli channel has reported that the Air Force had launched 850 raids in the city of Gaza last week in preparation for the land operation.
Yedioth Ahronoth, for its part, reported that “in the optimal scenario from the point of view of the Israeli army, the maneuver in the city of Gaza should end in a few months. Hamas will not be defeated in any of the scenarios presented by the army during discussions behind closed doors. ”
The daily adds that “the chief of staff Eyal Zamir warns that the successes of the combatants will be eroded during the next round and that Israel will not reach his war objectives by military action alone, without a decisive political decision concerning the future of Gaza”.
