An Israeli tank near Israel’s border fence with Gaza on Aug. 19, 2025. Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced it had begun the first steps of an operation to take over Gaza City on Wednesday.
“We have begun the preliminary operations and the first stages of the attack on Gaza City, and already now IDF forces are holding the outskirts of Gaza City,” Brigadier General Effie Defrin, Israel’s military spokesperson, said in a press briefing.
