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Israel is advancing towards Gaza City

2025-08-21 08:46:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israel is making progress with its offensive on Gaza City, according to an army spokesman. The suburbs have already been captured, he said. Netanyahu has ordered the capture of Gaza City faster than planned.

Israel has launched the first strikes of a planned offensive on Gaza City. An Israeli military spokesman said the army was in the first phase. He added that the outskirts of Gaza City had already been captured. The military spokesman also said efforts were being made to ensure the safe evacuation of the civilian population. A sufficient supply of humanitarian aid was also being provided. The attack is being accompanied by fears that the offensive will further worsen the already catastrophic situation for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu aims to accelerate the offensive

The Israeli army spokesman also confirmed that approximately 60,000 recruitment calls will be sent out this week. The announcement came after media reports that Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had approved an army operational plan to capture Gaza City. According to his office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the capture of Gaza City faster than previously planned. "The timeline for taking the last terrorist strongholds and defeating Hamas" will be shortened, his office said, without giving details.

The military spokesman announced that attacks on Hamas in its heartland, Gaza City, will be further intensified. The radical Palestinian Islamic organization is now nothing more than a "crushed" group of guerrillas.

Relatives fear for hostages

Military pressure doesn't save hostages, it kills them, said Ofir Braslavski, Rom Braslavski's father. Hamas had released a video of the young man in early August, who was extremely emaciated and battered. "Forty-two hostages entered Gaza on foot - and returned in a shroud. I don't want my child to be number 43," Braslavski said.

Macabit Mayer, the aunt of twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, accused Netanyahu of recruiting tens of thousands of other reservists for a "senseless mission" that "puts our loved ones and themselves at risk."/ DW