In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict, Israel has launched a major ground offensive on Gaza City, unleashing heavy air strikes and sending troops to the edges of the city in the early hours of September 16, 2025. The operation, described by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "powerful operation" targeting Hamas's "last major stronghold," has triggered a new wave of displacement and drawn widespread international condemnation.
According to reporting from BBC, the offensive began overnight, with large blasts and flashes lighting up the Gaza skyline—vividly visible from southern Israel, as confirmed by video coverage from the Associated Press. The scenes were harrowing: thousands of Palestinians streamed out of Gaza City, fleeing down a single coastal road toward the center of the Strip. Many traveled in donkey carts, rickshaws, or vehicles piled high with their belongings, while others walked on foot. They joined hundreds of thousands who had already escaped earlier stages of the war.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimates that 350,000 people have now fled Gaza City. However, more than half a million remain—many of whom are being urged by Israel to evacuate further south to what is being called a "humanitarian zone" along the coast. Yet, for many, leaving is neither simple nor safe. Some, like 32-year-old Lina al-Maghrebi, have been forced to sell their last valuables to cover the cost of displacement. "I was forced to sell my jewellery to cover the cost of displacement and a tent," she told the BBC. The journey was grueling: "It took us ten hours to reach Khan Younis, and we paid 3,500 shekels [£735] for the ride. The line of cars and trucks seemed endless."
Others have found the process even more daunting. Amjad al-Nawati recounted the terror his disabled brother Ahmed experienced amid the relentless bombing. "He kept putting his hand on his ears... and trembling from fear. I had to calm him and tell him we are leaving soon. It was one of the worst nights in his life," Amjad said, painting a picture of the psychological toll the conflict is exacting on Gaza's most vulnerable.
The humanitarian situation is dire. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reported that in the 24 hours leading up to September 16, 59 people were killed and at least 386 injured. Tragically, three additional deaths—including that of a child—were attributed to famine and malnutrition. With a UN-backed body having already declared famine in the area, the intensification of the Israeli offensive threatens to push civilians into "even deeper catastrophe," as the UN has warned.
Large swathes of Gaza City were destroyed in the first stages of the war in 2023, but, remarkably, around a million Palestinians had returned to their homes since then—often to neighborhoods reduced to rubble. Now, many are being forced to leave once again, some for the second or third time, as the IDF pushes forward. The military estimates that up to 3,000 Hamas combatants remain in the city, and Israeli officials insist their operations are necessary to defeat Hamas and secure the release of hostages still held by the group.
Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, took to X (formerly Twitter) as the offensive began, declaring, "Gaza is burning. 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 military has repeatedly urged civilians to distance themselves from combat zones. "Hamas has turned Gaza City into the largest human shield in history," said IDF spokesperson Brig Gen Effie Defrin at a news conference. "We continue to urge civilians to distance themselves away from the combat zones in Gaza City so they can reach safer areas."
But for many Palestinians, there is little sense of safety anywhere in the Strip. Some who attempted to move south found nowhere to pitch their tents and returned in desperation. Others say they simply cannot afford to leave, while air strikes have continued even in the areas designated as "safe" by Israeli authorities.
The military operation has drawn sharp criticism from around the world. UN human rights chief Volker Türk described the offensive as "totally and utterly unacceptable." UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called it "utterly reckless and appalling," arguing that it "will only bring more bloodshed, kill more innocent civilians and endanger the remaining hostages." Turkey's foreign ministry accused Israel of entering a new phase in its "genocide plans" and warned the assault would trigger mass displacement. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul labeled the operation "the completely wrong path" and called for renewed diplomacy.
Yet, not all voices have condemned the Israeli action. During a joint press conference with Netanyahu, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to offer tacit support, stating, "Sometimes when you're dealing with a group of savages like Hamas, that's not possible"—referring to the US's preference for a negotiated end to the war, but suggesting that talks with Hamas are futile.
The offensive comes on the heels of a damning report by a UN commission of inquiry, which found that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. The commission's latest findings are described as "the strongest and most authoritative UN finding to date" on the war, though it does not speak officially for the UN. The report details Israeli security forces perpetrating "sexual and gender-based violence," directly targeting children with the intention to kill them, and carrying out a "systemic and widespread attack" on religious, cultural, and educational sites in Gaza. Navi Pillay, chair of the panel, stated, "The genocide convention was born out of humanity's darkest chapters. Today, we witness in real time how the promise of never again is broken and tested in the eyes of the world."
Israel has categorically rejected the UN commission's report, denouncing it as "distorted and false." The foreign ministry maintains that the military campaign is a legitimate response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left about 1,200 people dead and 251 others taken hostage.
Since the start of Israel's campaign, at least 64,964 people have been killed in Gaza, nearly half of them women and children, according to the territory's health ministry. The sheer scale of the destruction and loss of life has prompted urgent calls from humanitarian groups and international organizations for an immediate ceasefire and renewed efforts to protect civilians.
As the ground offensive on Gaza City continues, the world watches with a mixture of horror, outrage, and helplessness. The human cost—measured in lost lives, broken families, and a growing humanitarian disaster—continues to mount, with no clear end in sight.
