Image Credentials: Image Title: Israeli Military Launches Ground Offensive in Gaza City as Thousands Flee Amid Escalating Conflict Source: (Sora.ChatGpt) Date: September 2025. Attribution: Created using AI-generated imagery (Sora.ChatGpt), this does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer | Open Chronicle with Agencies
Jerusalem — Israel began a full-scale ground offensive in Gaza City on Tuesday, intensifying a war that has already devastated the region for nearly two years and sending tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing south along clogged coastal roads. Families piled mattresses and belongings atop cars and trucks, seeking safety as bombardments shook the city.
Defense Minister Israel Katz declared, “Gaza is burning,” as troops advanced into the city following weeks of heavy airstrikes and preparations. The offensive marks Israel’s most determined push yet to capture Gaza’s largest city, with military officials warning it could take months.
The escalation coincided with a damning report by United Nations human rights experts accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation Israel vehemently rejected as “distorted and false.”
Civilian toll mounts
Hospitals in Gaza City reported at least 69 deaths on Tuesday morning alone, including 22 children, according to health officials. Shifa Hospital received 49 bodies, while Al-Ahli Hospital and Al-Quds Hospital reported additional casualties.
Saud al-Sakani, a grieving resident, said an airstrike killed her daughter, son-in-law, and their children, along with dozens of others sheltering in their home. “An entire family!” she cried at Shifa Hospital.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment, but has repeatedly accused Hamas of embedding its fighters and infrastructure within civilian areas.
Mass displacement
An estimated one million Palestinians lived in Gaza City before evacuation warnings began. Israeli officials say about 350,000 have fled in recent weeks, while the United Nations estimates 220,000 people have fled northern Gaza in the past month alone.
Many families now face dire conditions, with reports of overcrowding, unsanitary makeshift camps, and exorbitant fees charged by truck drivers transporting people to Israeli-designated “humanitarian zones.”
“We fled with nothing but a few pieces of clothing,” said Ismail Zaydah, who escaped from Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. “People are pitching tents in western Gaza City, and they are sleeping among human waste because there is no place for them to go.”
Hostage families demand action
As the offensive continued, families of Israeli hostages gathered outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence, pleading for an end to the bombardment.
“Netanyahu gave the order to bomb my child,” said Anat Angrast, whose son remains captive in Gaza. “He knows that Matan is in immediate danger, yet he decided to bomb him to death.”
Israel believes around 20 hostages are still alive. Hamas has said it will release them only in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Regional and international fallout
The offensive has further strained regional stability. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired a missile toward Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, prompting Israeli interceptions after Israel bombed the port of Hodeida. The Houthis claim their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Israel and warned that there is a “very short window” for a ceasefire deal. He later traveled to Qatar, a key mediator, thanking its leaders for their role despite tensions over recent Israeli strikes that killed Hamas officials.
In Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi escalated rhetoric by calling Israel “an enemy” — the first such declaration since Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Analysts warned that such language signals growing frustration from Arab states over Israel’s continued military campaign.
Background of the war
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants stormed southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has since killed over 64,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says women and children represent about half of the dead.
Israeli officials say Hamas has been reduced to guerrilla tactics, relying on small ambushes and explosives, but insist the group must be dismantled entirely before the war ends.