Gaza War: Israeli Army Announces It Will Act with 'Increased Force'

Claiming to control 40% of this city in the north of the besieged territory, it says it wants to seize it to defeat Hamas and free the hostages captured on October 7. "To all the residents of Gaza City […] the defense army is determined to defeat Hamas and will act in the Gaza City area with increased force," wrote Colonel Avichay Adraee, the army's Arabic-speaking spokesman, on the social network.

"Evacuate immediately through the al-Rashid axis," he added, as the Israeli army has already issued numerous evacuation orders to Gazans in recent days. The Israeli army destroyed another residential tower in Gaza City on Monday - the fourth in three days. "This is only the beginning of the intensification of ground operations in Gaza City. I say to the residents: you have been warned, leave now," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.

The UN, which estimates the population of Gaza City and its surrounding areas at around one million, warned of a "disaster." "All of this is just a prelude, just the opening to the main operation that is intensifying - the ground maneuver of our forces, which are currently organizing and assembling to enter Gaza City," added Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas said that Benjamin Netanyahu's threat amounted to "an explicit act of forced displacement" of Gaza City's residents.

"This is taking place under the weight of bombardments, massacres, starvation, and death threats - constituting a blatant and unprecedented defiance of international laws and conventions," Hamas said in a statement. The Gaza Civil Defense reported that Israeli airstrikes continued overnight, including on Gaza City. The war was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.