The Israeli Defense Minister said today that “Gaza is burning”, after heavy strikes were carried out on Gaza City overnight, the Associated Press reported, BTA reported.
The statement by Defense Minister Israel Katz comes at a time when Israel is planning a new offensive against Gaza City. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters on his departure from Israel to Qatar, indicated that the offensive has begun.
"The Israelis have begun operations there. So we think we have a very short window of time in which an agreement can be reached," Rubio said. "We don't have months left, we probably have days and maybe a few weeks."
Palestinian residents reported heavy strikes across the city. One of the strikes hit at least three houses in the southwest of the city, they said. Medics were searching for survivors in the rubble. The Israeli military has not responded to questions for hours about whether the offensive has begun, the AP said.
Both Netanyahu and Rubio said yesterday that the only way to end the conflict in Gaza is by eliminating "Hamas" and freeing the remaining 48 hostages - about 20 of whom are believed to be alive - as they rejected calls for a temporary ceasefire in favor of an immediate end to the conflict.
"Hamas" said they would release the remaining hostages only in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire, and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The Gaza War began when Hamas-led militant groups invaded southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251. Most of the hostages were released as a result of a ceasefire brokered in part by Qatar, or other agreements.