November 7, 2025
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel launched its offensive in Gaza City on Tuesday. The military would not offer a timeline for the offensive that aims to crush the terrorist group's ability to fight, but Israeli media suggested it could take months.
“Gaza is burning,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared as the operation began. Heavy bombardment pounded the city, and troops began moving in from the outskirts after weeks of airstrikes and buildup toward the renewed assault.
On a brief visit to the region, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that there was a “very short window of time in which a deal can happen” to end the war.
Meanwhile, a missile fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen set off rocket sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Israeli military said it was working to intercept the projectile, which was fired after Israel carried out airstrikes on the rebel-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen.
The Houthis have regularly fired drones and missiles at Israel in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians. The vast majority have been intercepted or landed in open areas without causing casualties or damage. Israel has carried out waves of retaliatory strikes on Yemen.
Israeli forces have carried out multiple large-scale raids into Gaza City over the course of the war, causing mass displacement and heavy destruction, only to see terrorists regroup later. This time, Israel has pledged to take control of the entire city.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines, said the “main phase” of the Gaza City operation had begun and troops had started moving.
The official said the Israeli military believes there are 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas terrorists left in Gaza City, as well as tunnels used by the group. Hamas’ military capabilities have been vastly diminished over nearly two years of war. It now mainly carries out guerrilla-style attacks, with small groups of fighters planting explosives or attacking military outposts before melting away.
An estimated 1 million Palestinians were living in the Gaza City region before warnings to evacuate began ahead of the offensive, and the Israeli military estimates 350,000 people have left the city.
A U.N. estimate on Monday said that over 220,000 Palestinians have fled northern Gaza over the past month. But hundreds of thousands more have stayed behind.
By the end of the current operation, an Israeli military graphic suggested its troops hope to control all of the Gaza Strip except for a large swath along the coast.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led terrorists stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Forty-eight hostages, fewer than half believed to be alive, remain in Gaza.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 64,900 Palestinians, according to claims by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants.
Israel believes around 20 of the hostages are alive. Hamas has said it will only free remaining captives in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire, and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
On a visit to Israel, Rubio suggested that there might still be time for a negotiated end to the war.
“At some point, this has to end. At some point, Hamas has to be defanged, and we hope it can happen through a negotiation,” he said. “But I think time, unfortunately, is running out.”
He continued to Qatar, where he met with its ruling emir. Qatar is incensed over an Israeli strike last week that killed five Hamas members and a local security official.
Rubio thanked Qatar, which has been a key negotiator in efforts to reach a ceasefire, for playing that role, according to a statement from his office, which did not directly acknowledge the Israeli strike. He also highlighted the countries’ close ties.
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