Israeli forces pressed further into Gaza City Tuesday, with tanks and armored divisions entering new neighborhoods as explosions and heavy shelling rocked the territory's most densely populated area. The ground assault comes just one day after dozens of world leaders gathered at the United Nations to formally recognize a Palestinian state, a move Israel has condemned as rewarding Hamas.
Geolocated images and video verified by CNN showed tanks positioned near Beach Camp in western Gaza City and south of the Islamic University, signaling that Israeli forces have penetrated deep into the city since launching their expanded offensive Sunday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Maj. Shahar Netanel Bozaglo, 27, was killed Monday when a Hamas fighter fired an RPG at his unit's tank.
The IDF said its forces are remotely detonating armored vehicles packed with explosives to demolish buildings that Hamas uses as ambush sites, command centers, and tunnel entrances. "Hamas converts such buildings into combat zones used for ambushes, command and control centers, weapon depots, fighting tunnels, observation posts," the IDF said in a statement.
Local authorities reported at least 22 deaths across Gaza on Tuesday, including 18 in Gaza City. Residents described constant bombardment. "Lately, every explosion has felt like an earthquake, not a metaphor, but a literal shaking of the ground beneath us," Asem Alnabih, a Gaza City spokesperson, wrote on X.
The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said Al-Rantisi Children's Hospital and the Specialized Eye Hospital shut down Monday and evacuated patients. "Look at the dressing, look there's nothing to clean them with... How is this baby surviving?" said Dr. Saya Aziz at Al-Shifa Hospital, holding a crying infant for CNN cameras.
Despite Israeli evacuation orders, hundreds of thousands remain in the city, with some saying they lack money or safety guarantees to move south. "We don't have money to leave to the south and we don't have guarantees if we do the Israelis will not bomb us, so we are staying," said Huda, a mother of two, via a chat app.
The offensive has sparked renewed international criticism. France, the U.K., Australia, Canada and Portugal announced recognition of a Palestinian state this week. French President Emmanuel Macron called it the "only solution that will allow for Israel to live in peace," describing the move as a "defeat for Hamas." Israel's ambassador to France, Joshua L. Zarka, called the decision "hostile" and said it would strain relations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed the war will not stop until Hamas is eliminated and has dismissed international pressure for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday and meet with leaders from Muslim-majority countries to discuss proposals for postwar Gaza, including Arab-led stabilization forces and reconstruction plans.
