On September 16, 2025, the simmering conflict in the Middle East reached a boiling point as Israel launched a massive ground operation in Gaza City, targeting the core of Hamas’s military and political power. The offensive, described by Israeli leaders as the most significant in recent memory, was accompanied by stern warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump, who cautioned Hamas against using Israeli hostages as human shields—a tactic he said would result in “big trouble” for the militant group.
“Hamas is using the old human shield deal,” President Trump told reporters as he prepared to depart for a state visit to the United Kingdom, according to the Associated Press. “If they do that, they’re going to be in big trouble.” He reinforced this warning on his Truth Social platform the day before, stating he had read reports suggesting Hamas might use captives as “human shields.” Later, Trump added, “If they put the hostages in front of them, Hamas, as protection, they call them bodyguards, they’re going to have hell to pay.”
Trump’s remarks echoed across the international stage, coinciding with Israel’s ground offensive that saw thousands of reservist and regular Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops advancing into Gaza City. The operation, dubbed Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, aimed to topple Hamas, rescue the 48 remaining Israeli hostages, and, as Israeli officials put it, liberate Gaza’s civilian population from the grip of the militant group. The IDF reported striking more than 850 targets in Gaza City in the week leading up to September 16, using a combination of air, ground, and intelligence assets to dismantle what they called “terrorist infrastructure.”
“Hamas has turned Gaza City into the largest human shield in history,” IDF spokesman Effie Defrin stated, as reported by several outlets. “Beneath the streets runs a vast network of tunnels, connecting command centers, rocket launchers, and weapons storage facilities—all deliberately hidden under civilians and civilian infrastructure.” Defrin emphasized that the military’s two primary objectives were to rescue the hostages and remove Hamas from power. “Hamas continues to hold dozens of our hostages in inhumane conditions. Their safe return is at the forefront of our mission. Our forces are acting with determination, guided by the clear moral duty to free our hostages and end Hamas’s rule of terror.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the nation and the world, confirmed the intensity of the operation. “Israel has begun an intensive operation in Gaza City,” Netanyahu announced, reaffirming the government’s commitment to achieving its war objectives. Netanyahu also justified a controversial strike against Hamas officials in Qatar the previous week, citing Qatar’s ties to the militant group. “Qatar is connected to Hamas, it bolsters Hamas, it harbours Hamas, it funds Hamas... It has strong levers (that it could pull), but it chose not to. Therefore, our action was entirely justified,” he stated.
Inside Gaza, the humanitarian situation deteriorated rapidly. Tens of thousands of Palestinians attempted to flee the northern parts of the city as Israeli strikes intensified. The United Nations estimated that approximately 220,000 Palestinians had already fled northern Gaza, including over 70,000 in the days immediately preceding the ground assault. Images of families carrying what little they could amid the rubble underscored the dire conditions on the ground. As Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz bluntly put it on social media, “Gaza is burning.” He added, “The IDF strikes with an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure and IDF soldiers are fighting bravely to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”
The international response was swift and divided. The European Union urged Israel to halt its offensive, warning that continued military intervention would lead to “more destruction, more death and more displacements,” according to European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni. The United Nations, meanwhile, saw its Human Rights Council commission a report accusing Netanyahu’s government of genocide against Gaza—a charge Israel vehemently rejected as “distorted and false.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that without a two-state solution, “there will be no peace in the Middle East, and extremism will expand everywhere in the world with the consequences that I consider extremely, extremely negative.”
Back in Israel, the families of hostages held by Hamas gathered outside Netanyahu’s residence, pleading with the prime minister to halt the offensive and prioritize the safe return of their loved ones. According to Israeli sources, around 20 of the hostages are believed to be alive, though Hamas has insisted it will only release them in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
As the battle raged in Gaza City, the Israeli military expanded its campaign, with fighter jets reportedly entering Yemeni airspace to strike Houthi military installations responsible for firing missiles at Israel. The scope of the conflict thus threatened to widen, drawing in regional actors and raising fears of a broader conflagration.
Within Israel, the consequences of the ongoing war were also being felt in the prison system. The Knesset National Security Committee approved a government request to hold imprisoned Palestinians overnight without beds, citing severe overcrowding following a spike in arrests since the October 7, 2024, attack that ignited the current round of violence.
Despite the mounting toll, Israeli military leaders projected confidence. Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir, speaking during a situational assessment with commanders inside Gaza, declared, “The threat has changed, but so have we; we come better prepared. This is a move of decisive importance for the continuation of the war.” He added, “Our objective is to enhance the strikes on Hamas until its decisive defeat. Hamas has been struck and weakened; we have defeated its core military power, and now we are expanding the achievement that will bring the end of the war closer.”
Hamas, for its part, lashed out at Trump’s remarks, accusing him of “blatant bias in favor of Zionist propaganda.” The group also blamed Netanyahu for sabotaging ceasefire talks, claiming that a surprise Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar had derailed negotiations. “War criminal Netanyahu bears full responsibility for the lives of his prisoners in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas leaders said in a statement, further alleging that “Washington knows that Netanyahu is sabotaging the chances of any agreement.”
As the world watched, the stakes in Gaza City could hardly be higher. With Israel determined to dismantle Hamas’s military capability and secure the return of its hostages, and with international calls for restraint growing louder, the coming days will likely prove decisive—not only for the fate of Gaza but for the broader trajectory of the region’s long-running conflict.