Israel's defense minister says 'Gaza is burning' after heavy strikes overnight across Gaza City September 16, 2025 at 5:14 AM 0 1 / 3Israel Palestinians GazaSmoke rises to the sky following an Israeli military strike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025.
- - Israel's defense minister says 'Gaza is burning' after heavy strikes overnight across Gaza City
September 16, 2025 at 5:14 AM
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1 / 3Israel Palestinians GazaSmoke rises to the sky following an Israeli military strike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's defense minister said Tuesday that "Gaza is burning" after heavy strikes overnight targeted Gaza City.
Defense Minister Israel Katz's remarks come as Israel has been planning a new offensive targeting Gaza City.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to journalists while leaving Israel for Qatar, suggested the offensive had begun.
"The Israelis have begun to take operations there. So we think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen," Rubio said. "We don't have months anymore, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks ago."
The Israeli military has not responded to questions for hours over whether the offensive had begun.
Both Netanyahu and Rubio said Monday the only way to end the conflict in Gaza is through the elimination of Hamas and the release of the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — setting aside calls for an interim ceasefire in favor of an immediate end to the conflict.
Hamas has said it will only free the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have since been released in ceasefires brokered in part by Qatar or other deals.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,871 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many were civilians or combatants. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, says women and children make up around half the dead.
Source: "AOL General News"
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