(JNS) The Israel Defense Forces launched the main phase of its ground operation into Gaza City in recent hours, a military official stated on Tuesday, initiating the final series of battles of the war to dismantle Hamas’s last remaining military and governing stronghold.

The start of the offensive was reportedly marked by one of the most intense and widespread aerial and ground bombardments in recent months, with massive “belts of fire” reported across multiple neighborhoods throughout Gaza City, including Sabra, Daraj, Sheikh Radwan, the al-Shati Camp and Tel al-Hawa.

The operation, which follows weeks of preparatory strikes on the city’s outskirts and a major humanitarian effort to evacuate civilians, is a gradual, multi-division maneuver aimed at destroying the terror group’s strategic tunnel network and eliminating an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas terrorists estimated to be entrenched in the area.

⭕️ IDF troops have begun expanding ground operations in Gaza City as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots II

In the past day, IDF activity in Gaza City has began according to the operational plan, and is expected to expand in line with the current situational assessment.

Its aim… pic.twitter.com/dJBpd7wq1x

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 16, 2025

The IDF also continued destroying high-rise buildings used by Hamas as attack and surveillance posts after issuing evacuation warnings.

A military official, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said, “Last night, we transitioned into the next phase, or the main phase of the plan for Gaza City. Following the directive of the political echelon, IDF Southern Command forces have expanded ground activity into Hamas’s main stronghold in Gaza.“

“This phase is defined by a coordinated and gradual maneuver combining precise intelligence, air and ground forces, operating at targeting Hamas’s central stronghold and aimed at dismantling its grip in this area. Our objectives remain unchanged: bringing home the hostages and dismantling Hamas,” the official added.

He stressed that the operation is being conducted in a “precise, intelligence-driven manner to ensure the safety of the 48 remaining hostages and the civilians of Gaza.”

He added that Gaza City has long been a central stronghold for Hamas, and beneath its streets lies a vast, strategic network of tunnels and terror infrastructure that has not yet been dismantled.

“We estimate that there are thousands of Hamas terrorists in Gaza City. We’re expecting to see in combat between 2,000 and 3,000 Hamas terrorists,” he said.

The initial ground forces maneuvering inside the city belong to the 98th and 162nd Divisions, led by conscripted units, with additional divisions set to join in the coming days.

While this marks the first major entry into the heart of the city, the official noted that for weeks, IDF forces have been systematically dismantling terror infrastructure on the outskirts in neighborhoods like Shuja’iyya and Zeitoun, establishing operational control in around 40% greater Gaza City.

 “Hamas is actively trying to block Gazans from moving out of the line of fire. Hamas essentially turned Gaza City into one of the largest cases in history of using human shields, with hundreds of thousands of people that they are trying to use as human shields and to hold in Gaza City so they can hide behind them and fight against us,” he said.

The official noted that despite this, an estimated 40% of the city’s civilian population had already moved south to designated humanitarian zones.

He rejected fresh allegations of genocide by the United Nations as “baseless and driven out of an agenda,” questioning how a country that provides 14 million liters of water daily from its own supply to an enemy population and gives up the element of surprise to warn civilians could be accused of such a crime.

“I don’t think any military in the world has given up the element of surprise every single time, including this time. None of you and none of the people in Gaza City are surprised that the IDF is about to have counter terrorism operations in Gaza City. That is the worst thing that a military can do for itself. And we’ve been doing it time and time again to do everything we can to get civilians out of the line of fire. To do everything we can to get civilians out of harm’s way,” he said.

“And Hamas is preventing them from going out. Israel time and time again has aborted missions, aborted strikes in real times because of potential harm to civilian casualties. So I think those claims are baseless… I think in hindsight, in many years from now, we’ll look back and see how the steps that the IDF has taken, that no other country in these conditions has operated in and has done so much to prevent harm to civilians in the battlefield.”

Another security official, speaking on Monday, provided extensive details on the massive and complex humanitarian effort that is running in parallel with the military operation, designed to support the hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians.

 “We are preparing not just the operational capacity, but also the humanitarian infrastructure and effort that will support the movement of people from northern Gaza to the central camps and to the south,” the security official said, noting that an estimated 320,000 people have moved south in recent weeks.

He detailed a multi-pronged strategy to ensure sufficient water, food, shelter, and medical care are available. Data released by the IDF showed that since May, more than 14,000 humanitarian aid trucks have entered Gaza, 80% of which were food trucks, also delivering over 5,500 tons of baby food and 3,500 tons of medical equipment.

The official detailed four main sources for water: Israeli pipelines like the recently repaired Bani Suheila line; local wells supplied with Israeli-facilitated fuel; three desalination plants, two of which are being connected to Israeli power lines, and will supply 26,000 cubic meters of water per day; and a new Emirati water pipeline from Egypt that is already supplying 15 liters per person per day for 600,000 people.

To facilitate shelter, the IDF is working with aid organizations to bring in 100,000 new tents, with 20,000 family tents and tarpaulins already delivered. These join hundreds of thousands of tents previously imported into Gaza.

In the medical sphere, the official noted that field hospitals are being expanded with hundreds of new beds, and two additional field hospitals are planned.

“We are doing a humanitarian assessment not just internally, but also with the partners, with the international community, every day, a couple of times a day,” the Israeli military official stated, emphasizing the ongoing coordination.

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