Gaza City offensive underway
For many, it is not the first time they have been displaced in recent months.
The military confirmed media reports that the offensive had begun, calling it the “preliminary” stage of a plan to control the entire city.
“We have begun the preliminary operations and the first stages of the attack on Gaza City, and already now IDF forces are holding the outskirts of Gaza City,” Brigadier General Effie Defrin, Israel’s military spokesperson, said.
In January, international bodies estimated that aerial attacks had destroyed 70-80% of Gaza City.
Defrin said that the city was still a “stronghold” for Hamas, the militant group who the October 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israeli civilians, sparking the current conflict.
Hamas, in a statement on Telegram, accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing a ceasefire deal in favor of continuing a “brutal war against innocent civilians in Gaza City.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4zHiv
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August 21, 2025
International bodies call for ceasefire to avoid further civilian deaths
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