Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz declared "Gaza is burning" on Tuesday morning as Israeli forces launched an intensified bombardment of Gaza City. The escalation came immediately after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit, during which he declared America's "unwavering support" for Israel's military campaign.
Katz said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were "striking terror infrastructure with an iron fist" and vowed to continue until "the mission is complete". The defence minister added that IDF soldiers were "fighting heroically to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas".
US diplomatic backing and ultimatum
Rubio met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday and endorsed the new offensive in Gaza City. As he departed for Qatar on Tuesday, Rubio warned that Hamas had only days to accept a ceasefire deal.
"We think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen," Rubio told reporters. "We don't have months anymore, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks to go." He described Hamas as "a group of savages" while expressing hope for a negotiated settlement.
Mounting casualties and displacement
The Independent reports that twelve Palestinians were killed overnight, including two children, with more than ninety injured at Shifa Hospital. According to BBC reports, Israeli military figures suggest 250,000 Palestinians have fled Gaza City as the bombardment intensified.
Witnesses described the city as under heavy bombardment throughout Monday night into Tuesday morning. The escalation affects hundreds of thousands of people already sheltering in the devastated urban area.
Hamas response and regional isolation
Hamas issued a statement saying the Trump administration "bears direct responsibility" for the conflict's escalation through its "blatant bias". The militant group warned the offensive would "threaten the lives of the captured Israeli soldiers".
Only The Independent reports that fifty Arab and Islamic leaders held an emergency meeting in Qatar in an "unprecedented show of unity" against Israel's offensive. The diplomatic crisis has complicated Qatar's role as a key mediator in ceasefire negotiations.
Hostage crisis intensifies pressure
Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza from the 7 October 2023 attack, with only twenty believed to still be alive. Hostage families planned protests outside Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence on Tuesday, prompting police to close off the street.
The timing of the escalation, coming directly after Rubio's diplomatic mission, has raised questions about the coordination between US and Israeli military strategy. Qatar hosts a major US airbase and serves as a crucial intermediary in hostage negotiations.
Sources used: "Guardian", "BBC", "The Independent", "Agence France-Presse" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
