LONDON — The Israeli military began a ground offensive in Gaza City, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday.
The IDF confirmed that the maneuver to occupy Gaza City that began overnight included two divisions, with a third expected to join.
The next phase of the Israeli military action in the city follows the beginning early this month of ground operation in the city, the largest in the Gaza Strip, military officials said at the time.
Israeli officials then a week ago issued an order calling for all residents of the city to evacuate, saying at the time that the Israeli military would operate “with great force” within Gaza City.
“Staying in the city is extremely dangerous,” Avichay Adraee, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said on social media at the time.
It was not immediately clear how many people remained in the city on Tuesday. At the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, a church official told ABC News they were still sheltering inside, with no intention to leave.
Tuesday’s military action in Gaza City followed a visit on Sunday and Monday by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who met privately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
After a joint news conference on Tuesday, Rubio said the United States supported Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas.
Hamas in a statement on Tuesday accused Netanyahu and Israel of destroying “every chance” of reaching an agreement to end the war and return remaining hostages. Hamas, which is a designated terrorist organization, said the U.S. knew “full well” that Israel was doing so.
But Rubio, as he again briefly spoke with the press as he boarded a plane out of Tel Aviv, said the U.S. was still pushing for a “negotiated” end to the war in Gaza.
“We think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen,” he said. “We don’t have months anymore; we probably have days, maybe a few weeks. So, it’s a key moment, an important moment.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Alex Ederson, Jordana Miller and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
