Gaza City residents flee as Israel begins offensive

Israel unleashed a long-threatened ground assault on Gaza City on Tuesday, declaring “Gaza is burning” as Palestinians termed it the most intense bombardment in two years of war. Thousands of people streamed out in vehicles laden with their belongings, but hundreds of thousands more remain.

An Israel Defence Forces official said ground troops were moving deeper into the enclave’s main city, and that the number of soldiers would rise in coming days to confront up to 3,000 Hamas combatants the IDF believes are still in the city.

“Gaza is burning,” Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on X. “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.”

By launching the assault, the Israel government has defied European leaders’ threat to impose sanctions and warnings from some of its own military commanders that it could be a costly mistake.

US President Donald Trump sided with Israel, telling reporters at the White House that Hamas would have “hell to pay” if it used hostages as human shields during the assault.

Gaza health officials reported that at least 50 persons had been killed on Tuesday, most in Gaza City, as airstrikes swept across the city and tanks advanced. People clambered over mounds of dislocated concrete to pry out victims.

Israel renewed its calls on civilians to leave, and long columns of Palestinians streamed towards the south and west.

“They are destroying residential towers, the pillars of the city, mosques, schools and roads,” said Abu Tamer, a 70-year-old man making the gruelling journey south with his family. “They are wiping out our memories.”

Hours before the escalation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Jerusalem that while the US wished for a diplomatic end to the war, “we have to be prepared for the possibility that’s not going to happen”.

But in Brussels, a spokesperson for the EU executive said it would agree on Wednesday to impose new sanctions on Israel, including suspending certain trade provisions.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called the assault “reckless and appalling” and called for an immediate ceasefire.