JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israel has opened a new phase of its Gaza City offensive through a gradual ground push, an Israeli military official told Anadolu on Tuesday, as nearly a million Palestinians remain trapped in the city.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the army late Monday launched “the next stage” of Operation Gideon Chariots 2, aimed at deepening maneuvers inside the city after weeks of air and artillery strikes.

He said the move followed weeks of preparations designed to clear the way for a larger ground advance.

According to the official, the onslaught is directed by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and currently involves the 98th and 162nd divisions, with the 36th division expected to join in the coming days alongside broad reserve forces.

He claimed hundreds of Hamas targets had been destroyed in recent weeks.

But residents in Gaza told Anadolu they saw no tanks entering the city overnight, only heavy airstrikes. Israel’s public broadcaster KAN also reported Tuesday that claims of armored vehicles inside the city were not accurate.

The Israeli official said the current stage “will continue as needed,” with troops entering gradually while airstrikes hit multi-story buildings as part of what he described as an approved operational plan.

Gaza City endured one of its bloodiest nights on Monday, with 35 people killed and dozens wounded or missing as Israeli forces also deployed explosive-laden robots to demolish homes.

“Gaza is burning and the army is striking with an iron fist,” Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on US social media company X on Tuesday.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the expanded offensive as “futile,” warning it would endanger both soldiers and hostages held by Hamas.

The army first announced the Gideon Chariots 2 plan on Sept. 3, declaring its goal was to fully occupy Gaza City.

Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed almost 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and triggered widespread starvation and disease.