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Israel launches “hellfire” ground assault on Gaza City

Israeli forces intensify ground assault on Gaza City as international pressure mounts for ceasefire. Dozens killed in single day amid humanitarian crisis.

Israel launches “hellfire” ground assault on Gaza City
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The Israeli military’s ground operation in Gaza continues for the second day amid international outcry, with thousands of Palestinians fleeing in waves as bombardments intensify and Benjamin Netanyahu sending messages to Hamas regarding the hostage situation.

According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, the IDF is striking “terrorist infrastructure” and working to ensure “the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noting that the war against Hamas is at a “critical stage” as the Gaza offensive unfolds – one of the final strongholds, according to his government, of the Palestinian extremist Islamist organization.

Israel: We struck over 150 Hamas terrorist targets in Gaza City, military announces

On Monday, the IDF notes, the Israeli military struck a Hamas weapons production facility in the Gaza City area. During the attack, the IDF states, “terrorists were present at the site manufacturing explosives intended for IDF forces in the area. As a result, secondary explosions were detected, indicating the presence of weapons at the facility.”

“Additionally, over the past two days, Israeli Air Force (IAF) and artillery forces struck over 150 terrorist targets throughout Gaza City, supporting forces conducting operations in the area,” the IDF concludes in their announcement.



Dozens killed, hundreds wounded in Gaza in a single day

In just one day, according to Al Jazeera, at least 91 deaths were recorded from Israeli bombardments in Gaza City, with hospitals reaching breaking point. Doctors describe being forced to operate without anesthetics, while many wounded cannot find beds for treatment. The lack of fuel, medicines and equipment makes providing care nearly impossible. A doctor speaking to Reuters noted that “we’re seeing children die from bleeding that could have been stopped with simple means,” highlighting the dimension of the humanitarian catastrophe.

Israel: Opens “temporary passage” for Gaza residents

Meanwhile, Israel’s military today announced the creation of “a temporary passage” for evacuating residents from Gaza City, where Israeli forces have launched a major ground operation. “Traffic will be permitted along Salah al-Din road and then southward from Wadi Gaza,” emphasized Israeli military Arabic spokesman Avichai Adraee. “At this stage the route will be open for only 48 hours, from September 17, 2025 at 12:00 (local time and Greece time) until September 19 at 12:00,” he added.


Netanyahu warns Hamas – “If they harm a single hair on any hostage’s head…”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas on Tuesday not to harm the hostages it continues to hold in the Gaza Strip following its unprecedented October 2023 attack against Israel.

“If they harm a single hair on any hostage’s head, we will hunt them down with greater force until the end of their lives – and that end will come much sooner than they think,” Netanyahu declared during a press conference. According to media reports, Hamas has moved some of the hostages, who were previously held in tunnels, to tents and houses to prevent the Israeli military from launching operations against certain areas.

The Israeli Prime Minister emphasized that hostages are being held in dangerous areas and stressed that this fact shocked US President Donald Trump. It should be noted that earlier Tuesday, Trump warned Hamas it would “pay dearly” if it uses the hostages it holds as human shields, with Hamas categorically rejecting this. Hamas continues to hold 48 hostages in Gaza, according to Israeli estimates, of whom 20 are believed to still be alive.

International NGOs demand intervention following UN committee report on Israeli genocide against Palestinians

More than twenty prominent humanitarian organizations are issuing a joint statement today calling on the international community – ahead of next week’s high-level UN General Assembly sessions – to intensify efforts to end the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, following the publication of a UN Human Rights Council committee report concluding that the Israeli military is committing genocide in the small Palestinian coastal enclave.

“States must use every available political, economic and legal tool at their disposal and intervene,” the organizations noted in the joint statement, posted on Save the Children’s website. “World leaders are not taking action. Events are ignored. Testimonies are sidelined. And as a direct consequence, more people are being killed,” the text states, recalling daily bombardments in Gaza City.

The NGOs also note that UN member states seem to view fulfilling their obligations under international law as optional, creating a very dangerous precedent. “History will undoubtedly judge this moment as a test for humanity. And we are failing. We are abandoning the people in Gaza, abandoning the hostages, relinquishing our own collective moral imperative,” the text states. Organizations endorsing the statement include Doctors Without Borders (Médecins sans frontières, MSF), CARE International, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Oxfam.

Pressure intensifies on Israel

Canada’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called Israel’s new ground offensive in Gaza “horrific.” “It worsens the humanitarian crisis and jeopardizes the release of the hostages,” the Foreign Ministry stated in an X post. “The Government of Israel must adhere to international law.”



Meanwhile, the EU will consider new sanctions on Israel today, according to a Commission spokesperson. “Tomorrow (i.e., today), commissioners will approve a package of measures on Israel,” spokesperson Paola Pinio told reporters. “Specifically, a proposal to suspend certain trade provisions in agreements between the EU and Israel.”

Guterres: Gaza situation “morally, politically and legally unacceptable”

At a press conference at UN headquarters, Secretary-General António Guterres noted that legal determination of genocide belongs to judicial bodies (ICJ), highlighting the ongoing case. Guterres described the situation in Gaza as “morally, politically and legally unacceptable” due to massive civilian deaths, extensive destruction, displacement and obstacles to humanitarian aid delivery. He condemned Hamas’s October attacks and advocated for a future demilitarized Palestinian state under the Palestinian Authority.

He simultaneously called for an immediate ceasefire, immediate and unconditional release of hostages and unimpeded humanitarian aid flow, while declaring himself open to meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister and expressing hope that US-Qatar efforts would lead to serious negotiations.

Palestinian Authority appeals for US intervention

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority (PA) called for global intervention and appealed to the United States to intervene. “The entire world has rejected this escalation, considering it a war crime against humanity that will lead to further tension and instability in the region,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for the Palestinian Authority presidency, said in a statement.

Hamas, meanwhile, characterized the attack on Gaza City as an “unprecedented barbaric Zionist escalation” that “violated all international rules and laws.”

Israel estimates that 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas fighters remain in Gaza, a small number relative to the civilian population, making clearing the area difficult. An Israeli military official stated: “Gaza is Hamas’s main stronghold right now. I said main, not last.”

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