The IDF on Tuesday morning officially confirmed the start of the ground operation in Gaza City as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots B.

IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X: “The IDF has begun to destroy Hamas infrastructure in Gaza City,” and urged residents of the city to urgently evacuate the “dangerous combat zone.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also confirmed the launch of the operation at the start of his testimony in the Tel Aviv District Court, stating, “We have begun an intense operation in Gaza City. I did not ask for closed doors in order to understand that the State of Israel is at a crucial point.”

Earlier on Tuesday morning, CNN reported Israel began its ground operation into Gaza City, quoting two Israeli sources.

The report came after hours of powerful air strikes in Gaza overnight Monday.

Beginning at 10 p.m. on Monday night and continuing until early Tuesday morning, powerful explosions from the strikes in Gaza City were felt as far as central Israel and even the Sharon area, with Israelis hearing the echoes of the heavy explosions.

Channel 12 News quoted a senior defense official as saying that the attacks, mainly concentrated in the northwest of Gaza City, were “intense and significant.”

As of Monday night, over 350,000 Gazans had already left the “Hamas capital.”

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated on Tuesday morning: “Gaza is burning. The IDF is striking terror infrastructure with an iron fist, and IDF soldiers are fighting valiantly to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas. We will not relent and we will not back down—until the mission is completed.”

Army Radio journalist Doron Kadosh wrote on X on Tuesday: “Let every Israeli mother know that if her soldier son is currently in Gaza, she can find out if he began combat in thee ways:

1.  Arrive at Netanyahu’s testimony in court and get updated there.

2.  Read Israeli leaks to CNN to bypass censorship.

3.  Follow IDF publications in Arabic.

“What about official updates from the IDF spokesperson to the Israeli public?”

“And why is the censorship in Israel no longer relevant, for the 1000th time?”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)