Gaza City labelled 'dangerous combat zone' as Israel steps up strikes

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it has "begun destroying Hamas infrastructure in Gaza City," suggesting the start of a major offensive in the Gaza Strip's main city.

"Gaza City is considered a dangerous combat zone, and staying in the area puts you at risk," the military's Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said in a post on X.

A short time later, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a court appearance at his ongoing corruption trial that Israel has "begun an intensive operation in Gaza City."

Israeli warplanes carried out near-continuous strikes on the metropolis overnight, accompanied by artillery fire, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Palestinian media said tanks later entered the city, where hundreds of thousands of people are believed to remain. The Israeli military has not confirmed this.

Israel's Security Cabinet approved the takeover of Gaza City in August. The military has called on all of the city's estimated 1 million residents to move to so-called humanitarian zones further south in the blockaded coastal strip.

The US news site Axios cited Israeli officials as saying the intensified operations marked the start of the promised ground offensive in Gaza City, but the Israeli military has not confirmed this.