Israel Launches Intensified Strikes on Gaza City as U.S. Diplomatic Push Continues

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Tuesday that “Gaza is burning” after a wave of heavy overnight strikes targeted Gaza City, raising fears that a full-scale offensive against the enclave’s largest population center is underway.

The escalation came as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio departed Israel for Qatar, where he is set to meet officials angered by last week’s Israeli strike that killed five Hamas members and a local security official. Arab and Muslim nations condemned the attack during a summit on Monday, but stopped short of taking concrete measures against Israel, underscoring the difficulty of applying diplomatic pressure amid the grinding Israel-Hamas war.

Speaking to reporters en route to Doha, Rubio suggested the operation in Gaza City had already begun.

“As you saw the Israelis have begun to take operations there,” Rubio said. “We think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen. We don’t have months anymore, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks. So it’s a key moment — an important moment.”

Rubio stressed that Washington’s “number one choice” remains a negotiated settlement but acknowledged the risk posed by an intensified campaign.

“The only thing worse than a war is a protracted one that goes on forever,” he added. “At some point, this has to end. At some point, Hamas has to be defanged, and we hope it can happen through negotiation. But time, unfortunately, is running out.”

On the ground, the humanitarian toll continued to mount. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported receiving the bodies of at least 12 people killed in overnight strikes that leveled multiple houses in the city’s western districts. Another 90 wounded were brought in during the same period, according to hospital director Dr. Rami Mhanna.

“It was a heavy night,” said Radwan Hayder, a resident sheltering near the hospital.

While the Israeli military has not confirmed the start of a formal offensive, Katz signaled the operation was already underway.

“Gaza is burning,” Katz wrote on X. “The [Israel Defense Forces] is striking with an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure, and our soldiers are fighting heroically to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas. We will not relent and we will not go back — until the completion of the mission.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Secretary Rubio reiterated Monday that the conflict can only end with the dismantling of Hamas and the release of the remaining 48 hostages, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Both leaders dismissed growing international calls for a temporary ceasefire, insisting instead on an immediate resolution to the conflict through military and political means.

The developments point to a dangerous escalation in Gaza City, with the U.S. pushing for last-minute negotiations while Israel intensifies its campaign to uproot Hamas.