Israel escalates bombardment as defence minister says 'Gaza is burning'
Source: BBC
Israel has heavily bombed Gaza City overnight with unconfirmed reports from the US news site Axios and the Jerusalem Post that the military has now launched its ground offensive to occupy the entire city.
Israeli strikes are also reported in central Gaza, in the direction in which thousands of people are fleeing. Palestinian officials say there are rising numbers of deaths and injuries.
..Early on Tuesday morning, Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, wrote on X, "Gaza is burning" and threatened that Israel, "will not relent and we will not go back - until the completion of the mission."
Local journalists in Gaza say there have been almost constant Israeli air strikes and artillery and gunfire in Gaza City. Homes are said to have been destroyed, with people trapped in the rubble. There has been no official confirmation of a new ground incursion from the Israeli military..
Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c749q1245pwo
Israel has launched its long-threatened ground offensive into the densely packed streets of Gaza City, military officials have confirmed.
One Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official said that troops had begun what he called the main phase of the offensive, with an overnight advance from the outskirts towards the city centre.
Last night we began deepening our operations deeper into Gaza City, the IDF official said. Its a gradual thing. It is not a black or white thing. But yesterday was a big step forward in operations on the ground.
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Gaza City residents reported a night of intense bombardment before the ground assault was launched. The IDF believes 40% of the estimated 1 million population of Gaza City and its outskirts, have so far left after Israeli evacuation orders. Israel warned those remaining to follow and to flee southwards.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/16/israel-launches-ground-offensive-deep-inside-gaza-city

muriel_volestrangler
(104,681 posts)"I was forced to sell my jewellery to cover the cost of displacement and a tent," she said. "It took us 10 hours to reach Khan Younis, and we paid 3,500 shekels (£735) for the ride. The line of cars and trucks seemed endless."
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The cost of displacement has surged far beyond the reach of most households. Residents said renting a small truck now costs around 3,000 shekels (£630), while a tent for five people sells for about 4,000 shekels (£840). With most families deprived of income since the war began, some are forced to walk for miles or remain in their homes despite the risks.
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"Whole residential blocks were levelled on top of their inhabitants, leaving many dead, missing, or injured," he said.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly0qnnx5w5o
Lonestarblue
(12,920 posts)I am at a loss to understand the apparent acceptance of daily murders by the IDF, including both execution and starvation, and the illegal destruction of the Palestinian homeland of Gaza to make room for Israeli settlers. Is Israel so sacrosanct that they can commit any heinous act and not even be criticized? This war stopped being about Israels defense many months and thousands of deaths ago.
PSPS
(14,913 posts)Israel wouldn't even exist without the US treasury funding it.
moniss
(8,046 posts)should tell the US that from this point forward they will veto any and all resolutions desired or supported by the US. Furthermore the majority of nations in the General Assembly should do likewise with the exception of one resolution. That would be condemning Israel for genocide and condemning the US for supporting it. That resolution should be passed over and over again at every session. I know that GA resolutions don't have actionable weight but it is the right thing to do to call this out non-stop and relentlessly even once it is over.
Countries should sever diplomatic relations with Israel and the US. Kick the US military bases out. Of course the US will cry about having a treaty agreement for the bases but that is when the countries should clearly state that the US is a party to other treaties as well that it chooses to break and ignore at will and since that is the case then other countries can reserve the right to act in the same manner in response to the US.
Countries around the world need to move quickly and aggressively to break trade arrangements with the US and Israel and move to be a trading bloc unto themselves and forge ties with the EU, China, Japan, India etc. All Latin American and African countries should come together as a bloc. That will of course be very difficult given the deep US military support for right wing governments but it can at least be an aspiration and have a beginning.