The Israeli army launches Operation Gideon's Tanks 2 and enters Gaza City.
Shortly before midnight, the sky turned orange from bombs. Night had vanished from the city: IDF tanks entered Al-Jalaa Street, in the heart of Gaza City, and robot bombs razed buildings. And more missiles fired from fighter jets, incessant artillery fire, and drones caused powerful explosions and dozens of deaths. The explosions could be heard as far as central Israel. Approximately 700,000 people remain in Gaza, despite the intense bombardment of recent weeks. 320,000 have moved south to the al-Mawasi camps in Kan Younis.
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Netanyahu: "Trump invited me to the White House."
"Trump has invited me to the White House." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the news, explaining: "It will happen in two weeks, on Monday, after my speech at the UN General Assembly. I had some conversations with him after the attack in Doha, all very positive." Regarding the attack on Qatar, Netanyahu explained: "Qatar finances Hamas, so the attack on Doha was justified."
«Powerful attack against Hamas stronghold»
"We are launching a powerful attack against the Hamas stronghold in Gaza City. Over the past 24 hours, troops from the 98th Division have begun ground operations in central Gaza City. Troops operating on the ground have entered with fire support from the air and sea," the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said. It added: "Dozens of terrorist sites have been hit, including military facilities, observation posts, and booby-trapped buildings intended to harm troops operating in the area."
The UN Commission of Inquiry: "Gaza is a genocide."
United Nations investigators said they have determined that Israel has committed "genocide" in Gaza since October 2023, with the "intent of destroying the Palestinians" in the territory. "We have concluded that genocide is taking place in Gaza and that the State of Israel bears responsibility," said Navi Pillay, head of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry into the Situation of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
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Trump: "Hamas should not use hostages as human shields."
"Hamas must not use the hostages as human shields," President Donald Trump wrote in Truth. "I hope they know what they're getting into if they do something like this. This is a human atrocity, the likes of which few people have ever seen before. Don't let this happen, otherwise, all bets are off. Release all the hostages. Now." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's response was immediate: "Thank you, President, for your unwavering support."
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Katz: "The city is burning"
“Gaza is burning,” says Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. “The IDF is striking terrorist infrastructure with an iron fist, and the soldiers are fighting bravely to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” Katz writes in a post on his X account . “We will not give up and we will not turn back until the mission is completed,” the Israeli minister emphasizes. “Today, if Gaza City falls... Hamas will fall.”
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Protest by the hostages' families
As soon as news of the operation spread in Gaza City, where intelligence believes at least some of the approximately 20 kidnapped people are being held, the hostages' families marched toward the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem. "These could be their last hours," they warned. Hamas—preparing for the IDF offensive—has taken some of the hostages into tents and buildings in Gaza City to use as shields. And it has entrusted the coordination of the so-called "legitimacy ambush" (ambushes and guerrilla warfare) to Izz al-Din Haddad, head of the military wing; Raed Saad, commander of the operations division; Muhammad Odeh, who heads the intelligence unit; and Mohand Rajab, a high-ranking soldier in the Gaza Brigade.
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Rubio in Israel
The operation began while Marco Rubio was still in Israel . In a joint press conference on behalf of President Trump, the US Secretary of State emphasized the friendship and strong ties between the two countries and, above all, made it clear that the White House "remains committed" to achieving two specific objectives: "Every single hostage must return home immediately, and Hamas must be eliminated."
(Unioneonline)
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