By: Fern Sidman

Israel confirmed on Tuesday morning that its long-anticipated ground offensive into Gaza City began the night before, marking a decisive escalation in the war against Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking briefly before resuming testimony in his corruption trial, declared bluntly: “We have begun a powerful operation in Gaza City.”

According to a report that appeared on Tuesday at World Israel News (WIN), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had spent weeks preparing the battlefield through relentless airstrikes and targeted demolitions of Hamas infrastructure. Now, the campaign has entered its most dangerous and critical phase: a full-scale ground maneuver into the heart of the terrorist stronghold.

For more than two weeks, the IDF’s air force hammered Gaza City with what military officials described as “powerful preparatory attacks.” WIN reported that over 850 terror targets were struck during this period, including dozens of high-rise buildings commandeered by Hamas for command posts, rocket launching sites, and surveillance nests. Each of the strikes followed repeated evacuation warnings delivered by the IDF through leaflets, text messages, social media, and direct phone calls to residents.

Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, confirmed that the transition from air dominance to ground maneuver had begun. “The IDF has started destroying Hamas infrastructure inside Gaza City,” Adraee said, stressing that civilians had been given ample opportunity to relocate to humanitarian zones in the south.

In a move underscoring the gravity of the operation, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir personally entered Gaza City with the first wave of troops, accompanied by Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor. According to the information provided in the WIN report, this rare act of senior leadership at the front lines reflects the IDF’s determination not only to break Hamas militarily but to galvanize the morale of Israel’s fighting forces during one of the most perilous missions in modern history.

Five IDF divisions are engaged in the operation, with two — the 162nd and 98th — spearheading the ground maneuver in the western sectors of Gaza City. They are to be joined by the 36th Division in the coming days. Meanwhile, the 99th and Gaza Divisions have encircled the city, forming a protective shield to secure supply lines, prevent Hamas reinforcements, and seal escape routes.

The offensive is among the largest operations Israel has mounted in Gaza. The IDF revealed that more than 130,000 reservists have been called up under emergency orders, supplementing the standing army to sustain the battle. As the World Israel News report emphasized, this is not a limited raid but a full-scale assault designed to bring the war to a decisive end.

An IDF statement conveyed the mission’s resolve: “We already control 40% of the city’s area and are sparing no effort to protect our soldiers. We are resolute and offensive, we have militarily defeated Hamas wherever we have fought it, and we will act until the Hamas regime collapses. There are no shortcuts and we cannot allow Hamas to control Gaza City the day after.”

Central to the complexity of the operation is the plight of the hostages. The WIN report noted that of the 48 captives still believed to be in Hamas custody, roughly 20 are thought to be alive. Hamas has threatened repeatedly to use these hostages as human shields to deter Israeli advances.

Reports from Kan Reshet Bet, cited by World Israel News, indicate that Hamas has moved some hostages above ground into private homes and tents, deliberately scattering them in populated areas to complicate Israeli targeting and maneuvering. Families of the captives, already reeling from over 700 days of anguish, fear that this offensive could prove fatal to their loved ones.

The IDF acknowledged these dangers but insisted that hostages remain “before our eyes” as troops move forward. Netanyahu has argued that dismantling Hamas is itself the only realistic path toward recovering the captives.

The IDF has again urged Gaza’s residents to evacuate southward, reiterating assurances that humanitarian zones are prepared with food, water, shelter, and medical supplies. Col. Adraee warned civilians in Arabic: “Gaza City is considered a dangerous combat zone. Staying in the area puts you at risk.”

Despite Hamas’s reported efforts to prevent civilians from leaving, World Israel News reported that more than 350,000 residents out of roughly 1 million have evacuated the city. Still, hundreds of thousands remain, caught between Hamas intimidation and the IDF’s warnings.

The offensive also unfolded against the backdrop of Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, a fact not lost on Israeli observers. Critics argue that the prime minister may be intertwining military decisions with political survival. Families of hostages, as WIN has covered extensively, continue to accuse the government of prioritizing battlefield gains over negotiations that could secure their loved ones’ release.

Yet the consensus across the Israeli security establishment remains firm: Hamas cannot be allowed to emerge intact from this war. The collapse of its rule in Gaza City, long regarded as the “capital” of Hamas’s military and political power, is viewed as non-negotiable.

The IDF’s message, highlighted in the World Israel News report, is unambiguous: Hamas will not govern Gaza City again. The Israeli leadership insists that “the day after” must not resemble “the day before.” While debates continue over whether the Palestinian Authority, an international coalition, or a new security arrangement will take over, Israel is determined to remove Hamas from any position of authority.

The ground offensive into Gaza City is both a military gamble and a political watershed. Israel has staked its credibility on crushing Hamas’s capacity to rule and terrorize. The risks are immense — urban warfare is notoriously deadly, the hostage crisis casts a heavy shadow, and international scrutiny is intensifying. Yet the IDF, backed by its reservists and led from the front by its top commanders, has signaled that retreat is not an option.

As the World Israel News report observed, the offensive is about far more than territory. It is about redefining security for Israel’s citizens, restoring deterrence across the region, and ensuring that Gaza City no longer serves as the beating heart of Hamas terror.

For Israel, and for the families of its soldiers and hostages, the coming days may determine not just the outcome of this war, but the trajectory of the nation’s future.