Gaza City/Jerusalem — 21 August 2025
Israel pounded Gaza City and its outskirts overnight as the military said it had begun the “first stages” of a planned offensive to seize the enclave’s largest urban center.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has approved the army’s expanded plan, which authorises the call-up of about 60,000 reservists, adding to roughly 20,000 troops already serving. An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said troops were “holding the outskirts of Gaza City” as preliminary actions moved ahead.
The escalation comes amid warnings from aid agencies that an expanded assault could deepen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, with shortages of food, medicine, and shelter already critical.
The campaign has drawn international condemnation and sparked domestic opposition, including protests by hostage families who fear the offensive could endanger captives still held in Gaza.
Independent verification of Israeli frontline positions and casualty figures remains limited, and reports from the conflict zone are still being updated.
