Israel Launches Ground Offensive to Capture Gaza City

The Israeli military has started a ground attack to take control of Gaza City, the largest city in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli officials.

This move follows weeks of heavy air strikes on the city. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to capture Gaza City because it is a stronghold of Hamas, the Palestinian group that attacked Israel in October 2023.

Israeli forces have surrounded the Gaza Strip, causing a humanitarian crisis with many people displaced and shortages of food and water.

For weeks, Israeli soldiers have been moving closer to the center of Gaza City, where about 1 million Palestinians were living last month.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli soldiers are fighting hard to destroy Hamas and help free hostages taken by Hamas.

Hamas’s attack in October killed around 1,200 people in Israel and took about 251 hostages. Israeli officials say 20 of the remaining 48 hostages in Gaza are still alive.