Israel says it has taken first steps of military operation in Gaza City
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
IDF initiates steps to take over Gaza after Netanyahu orders reduction in timelines
Hamas militants clash with Israeli troops in southern Gaza City. Israeli military says it has ordered a reduction in the number of troops in the area. The Israeli military has called up reservists to help with the fight against the militants. Israel has been battling Hamas for control of the Gaza Strip since the summer of 2009. The two sides have been at loggerheads over who should control the territory in the event of a conflict. The conflict is expected to continue until the end of the year.
The Israeli troops have already started circling the outskirts of Gaza City and Hamas was now a “battered and bruised” guerrilla force.
“We have begun the preliminary operations and the first stages of the attack on Gaza City, and already now [Israeli military] forces are holding the outskirts of Gaza City,” he said.
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The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Wednesday that the Israeli premier had ordered a reduction in timelines for taking control of Hamas strongholds and defeating the militant group, but it did not specify the new timelines.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military has called up tens of thousands of reservists in preparation for the assault on Gaza City, as the Israeli government considered a new proposal for a ceasefire after nearly two years of war.
The call-up indicates that Israel is moving ahead with its plan to seize Gaza’s biggest urban centre despite international disapproval of an operation that is likely to result in the displacement of more Palestinians.
A military official briefing reporters said that the reserve soldiers would not report for duty until September, an interval that gives mediators some time to close in the gaps between Hamas and Israel over truce terms.
On Wednesday, Israeli troops clashed with more than 15 Hamas militants who emerged from tunnel shafts and attacked them with gunfire and anti-tank missiles near Khan Younis, south of Gaza City, severely wounding one soldier and lightly wounding two others, said an Israeli military official.
Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades confirmed carrying out a raid on Israeli troops southeast of Khan Younis and engaging Israeli troops at point-blank range. It said in a statement that one fighter blew himself up among the soldiers, causing casualties, during the attack.
Israel says new military offensive to take over Gaza City has begun
Israeli military has taken the first steps of a planned operation to take over Gaza City, an IDF spokesperson has said. Brigadier General Effie Defrin said that IDF troops had already begun circling the outskirts of Gaza City and Hamas was now a “battered and bruised” guerrilla force. It followed the news that Israel would call up to 60,000 reservists for a new offensive in Gaza City. A siege on Gaza City is the first part of plans approved by Israel’s security cabinet to take full military control of Gaza and force the entire 2.3 million population south. Around 75 per cent of Gaza is already largely destroyed and controlled by Israel. A wider offensive would force more people to flee and further disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid as experts say the territory is at imminent risk of famine. More than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 723, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said it will “only bring more bloodshed” just hours after the initial announcement.
The Israeli military has taken the first steps of a planned operation to take over Gaza City, an IDF spokesperson has said.
Brigadier General Effie Defrin said that IDF troops had already begun circling the outskirts of Gaza City and Hamas was now a “battered and bruised” guerrilla force.
Following a clash with Hamas south of Khan Younis in the strip on Wednesday, he said: “We will deepen the attack on Hamas in Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental and military terror for the terrorist organization.”
It followed the news that Israel would call up to 60,000 reservists for a new offensive in Gaza City and other heavily populated areas of the war-torn Gaza Strip.
A siege on Gaza City is the first part of plans approved by Israel’s security cabinet to take full military control of Gaza and force the entire 2.3 million population south.
An official said tens of thousands of reservists will be called up in the next month, doubling the current number to 120,000. It remains unclear when the operation will begin.
open image in gallery Palestinians inspect the site of an overnight Israeli strike on a house, in Gaza City ( Reuters )
Around 75 per cent of Gaza is already largely destroyed and controlled by Israel. A wider offensive would force more people to flee and further disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid as experts say the territory is at imminent risk of famine.
Israel’s plans have also sparked internal controversy, with families of the remaining hostages fearing another military escalation could doom their loved ones, while former senior security officials say there is little to be gained militarily.
Last week, Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will first allow civilians to leave the battle zones before forces move in on Gaza City, which he described as one of Hamas’ last two remaining strongholds.
open image in gallery Palestinians rush for cover as smoke billows after an Israeli strike on a building in Jabalia, north of Gaza City, on Wednesday ( AFP/Getty )
Earlier this week, Hamas accepted a new ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which would include a 60-day truce and the release of half of the remaining hostages. A total of 50 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, with only 20 thought to still be alive, out of the 250 taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
A source close to the talks told Reuters that, unlike previous rounds, Hamas accepted the proposal with no further demands. Neither Israel nor the United States have yet responded to the offer.
open image in gallery ( Alicja Hagopian )
Mr Netanyahu’s planned offensive has triggered global outrage, with UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer saying it will “only bring more bloodshed” just hours after the initial announcement.
UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said it will lead to “more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes”.
Civilians in Gaza described how they need “a miracle to save us”, and the families of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas called it “a colossal catastrophe for both the hostages and our soldiers”.
open image in gallery Israel’s widening offensive unfolds while Gaza is grappling with severe famine due to an Israeli blockade ( AP )
Mr Netanyahu’s office said its five main goals are: Israel’s security control of the entire Strip, disarming Hamas, returning the hostages, demilitarisation of Gaza, and “the establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority”.
In practice, sources briefed on the discussion said the Israeli military plans to begin “gradually” at first – ordering the population of Gaza City to move and corral south of the tiny 25-mile enclave.
The focus of the initial military offensive will be carried out by the symbolic date of 7 October 2025, after which a siege will be imposed on Gaza City and army forces “will manoeuvre in it”, according to Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster.
open image in gallery More than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October 2023, according to the enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry ( AFP/Getty )
Meanwhile, the people of Gaza are grappling with severe food shortages due to an Israeli blockade. More than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October 2023, according to the enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Israel’s military struck Gaza City’s eastern suburbs overnight in a bombardment which Gaza health authorities said killed at least 19 people.
“This time if there is no deal, I am afraid we will all die,” father-of-four Samir Abu Basel said. “To die here or die wherever they would push us to, all the same. We have lost faith in this world, in our leaders, too.”
Israel says it has taken first steps of military operation in Gaza City
Israel’s military called up tens of thousands of reservists on Wednesday in preparation for the expected assault on Gaza City. Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan this month to expand the campaign in Gaza with the aim of taking Gaza City, where Israeli forces waged fierce urban warfare with Hamas in the early stages of the war. Israel currently holds about 75% of the Gaza Strip. The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when gunmen led by Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities near the border, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and taking 251 hostages including children into Gaza. Israel is under pressure from some far-right members of his coalition to reject a temporary ceasefire, continue the war and pursue the annexation of the territory. Many Gazans and foreign leaders fear a storming of Gaza City would cause significant casualties. Israel says it will help civilians leave battle zones before any assault begins. Israel’s military has accused Hamas of operating from within civilian infrastructure, which Hamas denies. Israeli officials have said Gaza City will be evacuated before any force moves in.
Item 1 of 5 Palestinians stand as smoke rises following an Israeli strike, in Gaza City, August 20, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Summary Israel plans gradual, targeted operation in Gaza City
Israeli troops clash with Hamas near Khan Younis
Smotrich approves West Bank settlement project assailed abroad
TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM/CAIRO, Aug 20 (Reuters) – Israel’s military announced the first steps of an operation to take over Gaza City on Wednesday and called up tens of thousands of reservists while the government considered a new ceasefire proposal to pause nearly two years of war
“We have begun the preliminary operations and the first stages of the attack on Gaza City, and already now IDF forces are holding the outskirts of Gaza City,” Brigadier General Effie Defrin, Israel’s military spokesman, told reporters.
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A military official briefing reporters earlier on Wednesday said reserve soldiers would not report for duty until September, an interval that gives mediators some time to bridge gaps between Hamas and Israel over truce terms
But after Israeli troops clashed with Hamas fighters in the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli leader sped up the timeline for taking control of Hamas strongholds and defeating the militant group that triggered the conflict with an attack on Israel in October 2023.
The Israeli statements signaled Israel was pressing ahead with its plan to seize Gaza’s biggest urban centre despite international criticism of an operation likely to force the displacement of many more Palestinians.
Defrin said troops were already operating on the outskirts of Gaza City, and Hamas was now a “battered and bruised” guerrilla force. “We will deepen the attack on Hamas in Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental and military terror for the terrorist organization,” the spokesman said.
Israel’s military called up tens of thousands of reservists on Wednesday in preparation for the expected assault on Gaza City, as the Israeli government considered a new truce proposal
Israel’s security cabinet, chaired by Netanyahu, approved a plan this month to expand the campaign in Gaza with the aim of taking Gaza City , where Israeli forces waged fierce urban warfare with Hamas in the early stages of the war. Israel currently holds about 75% of the Gaza Strip.
Many of Israel’s closest allies have urged the government to reconsider, but Netanyahu is under pressure from some far-right members of his coalition to reject a temporary ceasefire, continue the war and pursue the annexation of the territory.
One far-right member, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, announced final approval on Wednesday of a widely condemned Israeli plan for a settlement project in the occupied West Bank that he said would erase any prospect of a Palestinian state.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when gunmen led by Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities near the border, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and taking 251 hostages including children into Gaza, according to Israeli figures.
Over 62,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s air and ground war in Gaza since then, according to Gaza health officials, who do not say how many were militants but have said most of those killed have been women and children.
Hamas has accepted a proposal put forward by Arab mediators for a 60-day ceasefire that would involve releasing some of the remaining hostages and freeing Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
The Israeli government, which has said all the 50 remaining hostages must be released at once, is studying the proposal. Israeli authorities believe that 20 hostages are still alive.
Many Gazans and foreign leaders fear a storming of Gaza City would cause significant casualties. Israel says it will help civilians leave battle zones before any assault begins.
ISRAELI TROOPS, HAMAS FIGHTERS CLASH
Israeli troops clashed on Wednesday with more than 15 Hamas militants who emerged from tunnel shafts and attacked with gunfire and anti-tank missiles near Khan Younis, south of Gaza City, severely wounding one soldier and lightly wounding two others, an Israeli military official said.
In a statement, Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed carrying out a raid on Israeli troops southeast of Khan Younis and engaging Israeli troops at point-blank range. It said one fighter blew himself up among the soldiers, causing casualties, during an attack that lasted several hours.
Israel’s military campaign has caused widespread devastation across the Gaza Strip, which before the war was home to about 2.3 million Palestinians. Many buildings including homes, schools and mosques have been destroyed, while the military has accused Hamas of operating from within civilian infrastructure, which Hamas denies.
Israeli officials have said evacuation orders would be issued to Gaza City residents before any force moves in.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees Gaza’s only Catholic Church, located in Gaza City, said it received reports that neighbourhoods near the small parish had started to receive evacuation notices.
Hamas, an Islamist movement that has ruled Gaza for almost two decades, has been severely weakened by the war.
Hamas has said it would release all remaining hostages in exchange for an end to war. Israel says it will not end the war before Hamas disarms.
Opinion polls show strong Israeli public support for ending the war if it ensures the release of the hostages, and a rally in Tel Aviv urging the government to pursue such a deal drew a huge crowd on Saturday.
new Reuters/Ipsos poll of Americans showed a 58% majority believe that every country in the United Nations should recognise Palestine as a nation.
Reporting by Alexander Cornwell in Tel Aviv, Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem and Nidal Al Mughrabi in Cairo; writing by Alexander Cornwell and Howard Goller; editing by Alison Williams, Timothy Heritage and Mark Heinrich
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Israel says it has taken first steps of military operation in Gaza City
Israel’s military has taken the first steps of a planned operation to take over Gaza City. The move follows a clash with Hamas south of Khan Younis in the strip on Wednesday.
Reuters
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Aug 20 (Reuters) – Israel’s military has taken the first steps of a planned operation to take over Gaza City, Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said on Wednesday.
Following a clash with Hamas south of Khan Younis in the strip on Wednesday, he said: “We will deepen the attack on Hamas in Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental and military terror for the terrorist organization.”
Defrin said troops had already begun circling the outskirts of Gaza City and Hamas was now a “battered and bruised” guerrilla force.
“We have begun the preliminary operations and the first stages of the attack on Gaza City, and already now IDF forces are holding the outskirts of Gaza City,” he said.
IDF moves to encircle Hamas in first stage of Gaza City assault
The IDF has taken the first steps of a planned operation to take over Gaza City, military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said. IDF called up tens of thousands of reservists on Wednesday in preparation for the expected assault on Gaza City. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Wednesday that he has ordered a reduction in timelines for taking control of Hamas strongholds and defeating the terrorist group.
Following a clash with Hamas south of Khan Younis on Wednesday , he said: “We will deepen the attack on Hamas in Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental and military terror for the terrorist organization.”
2 View gallery IDF Spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin ( Photo: IDF )
Defrin said troops had already begun circling the outskirts of Gaza City and Hamas was now a “battered and bruised” guerrilla force.
“We have begun the preliminary operations and the first stages of the attack on Gaza City, and already now IDF forces are holding the outskirts of Gaza City,” he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Wednesday that he has ordered a reduction in timelines for taking control of Hamas strongholds and defeating the terrorist group. The statement did not specify the new timelines.
The IDF called up tens of thousands of reservists on Wednesday in preparation for the expected assault on Gaza City, as the Israeli government considered a new proposal for a ceasefire after nearly two years of war.
2 View gallery IDF forces operating in Gaza ( Photo: IDF )
The call-up signals Israel is pressing ahead with its plan to seize Gaza’s biggest urban center despite international criticism of an operation likely to force the displacement of many more Palestinians.
But a military official briefing reporters said reserve soldiers would not report for duty until September, an interval that gives mediators some time to bridge gaps between Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and Israel over truce terms.
Israeli troops clashed on Wednesday with more than 15 Hamas terrorists who emerged from tunnel shafts and attacked with gunfire and anti-tank missiles near Khan Younis, south of Gaza City, severely wounding one soldier and lightly wounding two others, an IDF official said.