WATCH: Dramatic Night of Intense Strikes on Gaza City as Ground Operation Looms
Gaza City experienced an unprecedented barrage of aerial and ground attacks on Monday night, a prelude to a planned full-scale military takeover that has already led to the evacuation of over 320,000 residents.
Gaza City experienced a dramatic and intense night of strikes on Monday, a prelude to a much-anticipated ground operation. According to a source in the IDF General Staff, the intense barrage of fire is "just the beginning," confirming that the military has a complete "bank of targets" to hit. Palestinians on the ground reported unrelenting aerial attacks, heavy artillery fire, and the use of illumination flares in the northwestern and northeastern parts of the city. The intensity of the explosions was so significant that the sounds were heard as far away as central Israel and the Sharon region.
The military operation is part of a plan approved by the Security Cabinet in August for a full-scale takeover of the Gaza Strip. The plan, which reportedly has been fine-tuned by divisional commanders, calls for an estimated 80,000 soldiers in brigade combat teams to encircle and conquer Gaza City. The objective is to destroy the core of Hamas's terror infrastructure and remaining symbols of its central government. A military source familiar with the preparations called it a "very broad plan" that would exact a "heavy price from Hamas but also carries great risks for IDF forces."
The decision to proceed with the full-scale takeover was not without internal dissent. The Security Cabinet’s vote was in favor of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal, despite warnings from Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. The chief of staff had cautioned that the operation could result in dozens of Israeli military casualties and impact the fate of the hostages. Additionally, ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir reportedly opposed the clause in the plan that allows for extensive humanitarian aid.
In recent months, the IDF has amassed an unprecedented amount of military equipment on the Gaza border, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, and heavy engineering equipment. Military officials believe that the increased scale of the strikes is prompting more Palestinians to flee south to the humanitarian zone, and the evacuation figures support this. An estimated 20,000 Palestinians moved south overnight, bringing the total number of evacuees from northern Gaza to over 320,000. Despite this, tens of thousands of residents are expected to remain in the city during the fighting.
