by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have completed the encirclement of Gaza City, military officials said Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in their ground offensive.
Three IDF divisions secured control over strategic neighborhoods and access points, including Sheikh Radwan, the coastline, Sabra, and Tel al-Hawa. Military estimates suggest more than 600,000 residents have already fled the city amid the fighting.
“Hamas is currently in a state of confusion,” a military source told Maariv. “It doesn’t know where the IDF is striking from and has no clear sense of the scale of forces we’re using against them.”
Limited Clashes, Fallen Officer
Although clashes have remained limited, isolated battles have occurred. On Monday, Maj. Shahar Netanel Buzaglo, a company commander in the 77th Armored Battalion, was killed in combat.
“There has been limited movement of terrorists and the number of clashes is not large,” a military official added. “They probably prefer to dig in and preserve their strength.”
Reinforcing All Fronts
The IDF has reinforced its presence across the country as the High Holidays continue, deploying dozens of battalions on high alert. Forces have been stationed at roads, bus stops, junctions, shopping centers, and communities to bolster defenses against possible attacks.
“The many challenges before us–the fighting in Gaza City, defense in the north, and the constant battle against terrorism in Judea and Samaria–have recently converged with political statements, the holidays, the olive harvest, foreign incitement, and lone-wolf inspiration,” said IDF Central Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth. “All these are not reasons for optimism, but I am full of hope.”
Hamas Under Pressure
Reports from inside Gaza City suggest Hamas is resorting to violent measures to keep civilians from leaving. “We saw at the end of the week that Hamas attacked a UN convoy, which indicates their distress,” an Israeli source said. “We know more about the situation Hamas finds itself in in Gaza City.”
Arab media reported that IDF armored units advanced along several routes inside the city as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots. The maneuvers were supported by Israeli Air Force strikes and artillery targeting Hamas infrastructure.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, 38 people were killed and 190 wounded across Gaza in the past 24 hours.
Residents Flee Amid Hardship
Palestinian civilians continued to move southward, with Israeli officials estimating that over half a million Gazans have left Gaza City. But hundreds of thousands remain behind.
One local woman described the difficulty of leaving, saying conditions in the south were “catastrophic and unsafe.” She expressed fears that terrorists could be hiding among the displaced and appealed for help to relocate to Jericho, where her family lives.
Tanks Move Toward Key Sites
Eyewitnesses reported Israeli armored vehicles pushing into the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood and toward the Shati refugee camp, with sightings near al-Shifa hospital and a former Red Crescent building close to the Jordanian hospital. Palestinian outlets also claimed tanks were seen near UNRWA’s main headquarters in central Gaza City.
Large groups of residents were seen fleeing westward toward the coast as the IDF tightened its grip.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israel expanded its military campaign against Hezbollah on Monday, striking more than 70 targets across Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to increase pressure on the Iranian-backed terror group following a sharp rise in drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel.
A federal appeals court is weighing whether Kansas City can use its public accommodation ordinance to require Christian counselors to counsel gay married couples despite the counselors’ biblical convictions on marriage and sexuality.
Tens of thousands of evangelical Christians gathered in the Netherlands for one of Europe’s largest multi-day Christian events, with organizers and participants expressing hopes for spiritual revival in the nation and across Europe.
President Donald Trump pushed back Monday against sharp criticism from Republicans and former administration officials over a potential U.S.-Iran agreement, insisting that any final accord must prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or it will not be signed.
President Donald Trump said Monday that countries involved in negotiations over Iran should be required to join the Abraham Accords, signaling that the White House is seeking to turn a possible Iran agreement into a wider regional realignment that includes normalization with Israel.
Tensions remained high in Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Sunday after at least tens of thousands of people demanded elections and rallied against what they view as the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Aleksandar Vučić, with violence erupting after the protest and more than 20 people arrested.
Investigations were ongoing Sunday into the killing of three senior Kuki-Thadou Christian church leaders by unidentified gunmen in India’s northeastern Manipur State, Christian investigators told Worthy News.