Has Israel opened ‘the gates of hell’ on Gaza City? Civilians flee as 'IDF strikes with an iron fist'

As Israel launched a long-threatened ground assault on Gaza City on Tuesday, its Defence Minister Israel Katz said, “Gaza is burning.” The assault has continued on the ground with an intensified air strike on the Gaza Strip. With toll mounting, Palestinians are fleeing Gaza City in large numbers, describing the assault as the most intense bombardment they had faced in two years of war.

Reuters quoted an Israel Defence Forces official as saying that ground troops were moving deeper into the enclave’s main city, and that the number of soldiers would rise in coming days to confront up to 3,000 Hamas combatants the IDF believes are still in the city.

Katz posted on X, “The IDF strikes with an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure and IDF soldiers are fighting bravely to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”

His remarks came in the context he set in another X post last month, a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would authorise ground operation in Gaza City. Katz had then said, “Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas’s murderers and rapists in Gaza — until they agree to Israel’s conditions for ending the war, primarily the release of all hostages and their disarmament."

“If they do not agree, Gaza, the capital of Hamas, will become Rafah and Beit Hanoun,” he said, referring to two cities in Gaza largely razed during previous Israeli operations.

The ground operation has begun amid mounting international criticism. Officials stated on Tuesday that the offensive began on the city’s outskirts, with military activity escalating over the past week through concentrated airstrikes and the demolition of high-rise structures.

Netanyahu has described the campaign as a “critical stage” in the conflict, framing Gaza City as a central Hamas stronghold that required decisive military action.

Rising civilian casualties and destruction

Gaza City, which until recently had avoided the levels of devastation experienced in Rafah and Khan Younis, now faces similar destruction. Health ministry officials in Gaza reported that at least 93 Palestinians were killed in northern Gaza on Tuesday alone, with more than 100 deaths recorded across the territory in a single day.

Scenes from neighbourhoods such as Sheikh Radwan illustrated the scale of destruction. Entire residential blocks were levelled and civilians carried what belongings they could as they attempted to flee through the rubble. CNN footage documented families dragging mattresses, blankets and bags, with Israeli drones circling overhead. Residents described the airstrikes as the most intense they had experienced in months.

Humanitarian warnings ignored

The operation has unfolded amid dire humanitarian warnings. The United Nations and aid organisations had cautioned that an expanded incursion into Gaza City would intensify an already catastrophic situation. Parts of the enclave are officially experiencing famine conditions, with over one million residents—nearly half of Gaza’s population—living in and around the targeted city.

While Israel has urged civilians to leave, IDF sources admitted that only around 40 per cent of residents had evacuated, a figure CNN noted it could not independently verify. This limited compliance, alongside continued bombardment, has raised fears of mass casualties and deepened criticism of the Israeli strategy.

Global condemnation

Netanyahu’s decision to press forward, despite censure from the international community and hesitations among Israeli security officials, highlighted his determination to pursue the war on his own terms.

On the same day, a UN inquiry concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, asserting that Palestinians were being targeted collectively on the basis of their identity. Israel categorically rejected the findings, describing the report as “distorted and false,” and demanded that the commission be dissolved.

Volker Türk, the UN human rights chief, urged the global community to prevent Israel from proceeding further, calling the escalation “totally and utterly unacceptable.” He added that it was “absolutely clear that this carnage must stop”.

Stories of fear and survival

Civilians conveyed harrowing accounts of survival under fire. A resident named Maysar Al Adwan said he endured a sleepless night as bombs struck repeatedly around his home. Others spoke of the psychological toll of repeated evacuations.

Crowds of displaced people could be seen cramming onto main roads such as Al-Rashid Street, with traffic so dense that vehicles were barely moving.

Delayed humanitarian measures

According to Israeli security cabinet plans approved earlier in August, the assault on Gaza City was supposed to follow a complete evacuation of residents to al-Mawasi. Israel had also pledged to expand aid facilities through the controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to 16 sites.

However, only about five are currently in operation, often requiring Palestinians to walk for hours to access food and supplies, CNN reported.

This shortfall has compounded desperation. Families reported walking long distances under bombardment to find relief, while scarce aid facilities struggled to meet overwhelming demand.

Hamas and Israel’s military calculations

The IDF has estimated that between 2,000 and 3,000 Hamas fighters remain in Gaza City, a small percentage of the local population but still a significant obstacle for Israel’s military campaign. Israeli officials acknowledged the risk that militants could blend in with civilians evacuating south, complicating efforts to distinguish fighters from non-combatants.

Hamas denounced the assault as an “unprecedented barbaric Zionist escalation” that violated international law. The group argued that Israel was targeting civilians under the pretext of combating terrorists.

Analysts have also noted the strategic pressure on Hamas as civilians continue to leave. According to economist Eyal Ofer, Hamas relies on the civilian population for both human shields and propaganda value.

He explained that the erosion of Gaza City’s population undermines Hamas’s “centre of gravity” of “home and people.” He added that, despite Hamas’s efforts to discourage evacuations, many residents are leaving in fear they will never be able to return, Jerusalem Post reported.

Economic pressures on civilians

Ofer emphasised that repeated displacements have generated severe economic strain. He cited sharp spikes in transportation costs, noting that truck fees for moving from Gaza City’s Rimal neighbourhood to the south had doubled within days. Fuel shortages contributed to soaring expenses, with a single trip south costing nearly 1,000 shekels ($300.70) in fuel alone.

Housing shortages further exacerbated the crisis. Apartments in the south were being offered at prices beyond the reach of most families, while even plots of land for makeshift tents commanded steep fees.

As social solidarity eroded, Ofer said, “almost everyone who can profit from the situation does so,” highlighting how war had transformed Gaza into a predatory marketplace.

US-Israel relations and political backing

Despite criticism from the UN and the Palestinian Authority, Israel’s campaign has received backing from the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Jerusalem on Monday, standing alongside Netanyahu as the operation was formally announced.

Rubio reiterated demands for Hamas to release hostages and surrender control, while conceding that such an outcome was improbable. He suggested that a “concise military operation” might ultimately be required to eliminate Hamas.

A war of attrition without end

While the assault on Gaza City may not be decisive, civilians continue to endure displacement, scarcity and fear. With roads clogged by families heading south and aid falling short of promises, Gaza City is experiencing both physical destruction and a collapse of the social fabric.

Residents, many of whom have been uprooted multiple times in two years of war, expressed doubts about whether they would ever return to their homes. For many Gazans, the whole situation has now shifted from political calculations to the raw struggle for survival.