DaysofPal – Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Tuesday declared that “Gaza is burning” as the army escalated its violent bombardment of Gaza City, sparking outrage from the families of Israeli prisoners who accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sacrificing their loved ones.
In a post on the X platform, Katz said the Israeli army was striking “with an iron fist against the terrorist infrastructure” to “create the conditions for the release of the captives and the defeat of Hamas.”
At dawn Tuesday, Israeli forces intensified air and ground attacks on Gaza City, destroying residential buildings in the north and issuing evacuation orders for residents of the Gaza Port and Rimal neighborhoods.
Gaza’s Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal reported that the city was under “violent bombardment” and that “the number of martyrs and injuries is increasing.”
The Health Ministry confirmed that at least 60 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Strip since dawn on Monday.
The Israeli daily Israel Hayom said the blasts in Gaza were so powerful they were heard in Tel Aviv and shattered windows in the settlement of Netivot in southern Israel.
The stepped-up assault has reignited anger among families of Israeli captives in Gaza, who accused Netanyahu of dooming their relatives by pressing ahead with the military campaign.
The Prisoners’ Families Committee said Tuesday that “the 710th night could be the last in the lives of our loved ones, who are barely alive,” warning that the intensified bombardment directly endangers prisoners held inside Gaza City.
The statement accused Netanyahu, Katz, and other officials of ignoring repeated requests for dialogue and held the prime minister “personally responsible” for the fate of the abductees. It added, “The people of Israel will not forgive the sacrifice of the abductees and soldiers.”
The crisis has deepened political rifts inside Israel. Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, lashed out at Netanyahu, accusing him of being willing to “sacrifice prisoners, Israel’s strategic relations, and the economy for his own survival.”
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