Netanyahu said he was about to break into Gaza City and warned residents to leave immediately

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Monday (September 8) that ground troops of the Israeli army are assembling and are about to enter Gaza City, and warned local residents to leave immediately.

He had previously warned that if Hamas did not release the last 48 hostages and surrender, Israel would escalate air strikes and ground operations in the Gaza Strip "with the force of a powerful hurricane".

Xinhua News Agency reported that Netanyahu said during his inspection of the Israeli Air Force Command center in Tel Aviv on Monday that the Israeli Air Force had destroyed several high-rise buildings used by Palestinian armed personnel in Gaza City over the past two days, and this was merely "the beginning of ground operations in Gaza City".

The Israel Defense Forces said that four of its soldiers were killed in an attack near Gaza City on Monday morning. This incident occurred on the outskirts of Gaza City where the Israeli army had been conducting ground operations for several weeks. The National Newspaper, citing the initial investigation results of the Israeli army, reported that the soldiers were attacked by three Hamas militants when they returned to their camp outside the Sheikh Radwan community in the northern part of Gaza City in a tank after ending their night operation. The militants threw an explosive device into the tank door and exchanged fire with other Israeli soldiers.

According to the Land Newspaper, since the new round of the Israel-Kazakhstan conflict broke out in October 2023, 459 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the Gaza Strip. Since Israel tore up the ceasefire agreement with Hamas in mid-March, 54 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu said last Sunday (7th) that the Israeli army is clearing the infrastructure and buildings of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and is attacking Gaza City, the last stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. As the Israeli army expands its operations, about 100,000 civilians have left Gaza City.

In early August, Israel's Security cabinet approved a plan for the Israeli military to take over Gaza City, which has sparked condemnation and opposition both at home and abroad. Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Devlin said last Thursday (4th) that the Israeli army has controlled 40% of the Gaza City area and will expand and intensify military operations in the future.