Hamas Condemns ‘Barbaric Zionist Escalation’ As Israel Launches Ground Offensive In Gaza

Last Updated:September 16, 2025, 23:57 IST

The United Nations has warned that the planned occupation of Gaza City threatens to displace nearly one million people.

Local health officials reported that 101 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza within a 24-hour period (AP)

Hamas has released a strongly worded statement against Israel’s latest ground offensive in Gaza on Tuesday, condemning what it called “an unprecedented barbaric Zionist escalation” and framing it as part of “a new chapter in the systematic war of genocide” against Palestinians, reported CNN. The group appealed to the international community, especially Arab and Islamic nations, to intervene and compel Israel to end its military operation.

Amid escalating violence in Gaza, thousands of displaced Palestinians are heading south toward Deir al-Balah, following intensified Israeli military operations and a renewed call for a ceasefire from Hamas. On Tuesday, long convoys of civilians were seen moving along the coastal road, with families crowded onto trucks and carts, hauling whatever belongings they could carry.

The mass movement comes after repeated Israeli military warnings urging civilians to vacate Gaza City, where ground operations are now underway. Israel has declared that its ground incursion into the city has officially begun, identifying Gaza City as one of Hamas’s last major operational strongholds in the enclave.

In recent days, Israeli airstrikes have pounded the city’s outskirts, targeting residential blocks and infrastructure. According to reports, several high-rise buildings have been demolished. Along the border, Israeli armoured units have taken position, suggesting that the current phase of the operation is part of a broader and sustained military campaign.

On Tuesday evening, the Israeli Defense Forces provided a rare projection for the offensive’s duration, suggesting the Gaza City operation could take “several months” to complete. “We will act until the war objectives are achieved. We are not limited by time,” said IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin, underlining the protracted nature of the conflict.

As the offensive expands, humanitarian concerns are growing. The United Nations has warned that the planned occupation of Gaza City threatens to displace nearly one million people, many of whom have already been uprooted multiple times since the conflict began.

Local health officials reported that 101 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza within a 24-hour period as of Tuesday, with 86 deaths occurring in the northern part of the strip since midnight. Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza City, confirmed 55 fatalities by late afternoon, further straining its limited capacity to manage mass casualties.

Earlier in the day, a UN commission accused Israel of committing acts of genocide, a charge that coincided with the intensification of the ground campaign.

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