‘Gaza is on fire’ – Israeli defense minister

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed on Tuesday that “Gaza is on fire,” apparently confirming reports from Palestinian media that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted intensive overnight airstrikes on Gaza City. Katz vowed that West Jerusalem “will not relent” until Hamas is defeated.

Last month, Israel’s security cabinet approved plans to seize Gaza City – one of the few areas not under IDF control – a move that could lead to a full takeover. While a ground assault was expected in October, the IDF has pounded the city with weeks of bombardment, triggering mass evacuations. Residents reported intense strikes on Gaza City and the outskirts Monday night, with some claiming that IDF tanks have entered.

“Gaza is on fire,” Katz wrote on X. “The IDF is striking with an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure and Israeli soldiers are fighting bravely 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 completion of the mission.”

The IDF has not confirmed the overnight assault.

Katz’s remarks came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepared to travel to Qatar to revive ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, which stalled after an Israeli strike in Doha last week killed five members of the militant group and a local security official. Speaking to journalists en route, Rubio suggested that the Gaza City offensive had already begun.

“As you saw, the Israelis have begun to take operations there. So we think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen,” Rubio said, warning that only days remain to reach a settlement.

Qatar has hosted several rounds of Israel-Hamas talks, mediating ceasefires in 2023 and earlier this year. It condemned Israel for “state terrorism” after last week’s strike but said it would not abandon its mediation role with Egypt and the US.

Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza City has drawn international condemnation and sparked protests at home. The IDF estimates that more than 350,000 Palestinians have fled since the offensive was announced, out of roughly 1 million who lived there before.