Israel Says Gaza City Nearly Encircled as IDF Pushes Toward Final Siege
Key Facts
- IDF close to fully encircling Gaza City, Katz issues “last opportunity” warning to residents
- Israel seizes western Netzarim Corridor, bisecting Gaza between north and south
- Hamas rocket fire continues, including salvos at Ashdod during Yom Kippur
- Red Cross suspends Gaza City operations as fighting intensifies
by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are close to fully encircling Gaza City, urging remaining residents to flee south through Israeli checkpoints in what he described as their “last opportunity” before the city is sealed off.
The ultimatum came as Hamas prepared a formal response to a U.S. ceasefire proposal that Israel has already accepted, while medical officials in Hamas-run Gaza reported at least 35 people killed by Israeli strikes across the enclave. The International Committee of the Red Cross said the fighting had forced it to suspend operations in Gaza City.
Katz announced that Israeli forces had seized control of the western portion of the Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land bisecting Gaza from east to west, linking directly to the coast. “This will tighten the encirclement around Gaza City and everyone leaving it to the south will be forced to pass through IDF checkpoints,” Katz said. “This is the last opportunity for Gaza residents who wish to move south and leave Hamas terrorists isolated in Gaza City, in the face of IDF activity that continues with full force.”
He warned that anyone who remained would be considered “terrorists and supporters of terror,” and vowed that Israel would press on until all hostages are returned and Hamas is disarmed.
The IDF confirmed later that it had achieved “operational control” of the corridor’s western section, cutting off movement back into Gaza City. The military estimated that most of the city’s roughly one million residents have already fled, though many displaced families fear they may never be able to return to their homes.
Clashes raged across Gaza City as multiple IDF divisions pushed deeper into the area. The 36th Division raided a Hamas compound and seized weapons, while the 162nd Division directed drone strikes against militant cells. The 98th Division located abandoned Hamas positions and destroyed weapons depots, and the 99th Division reported killing several operatives on the city’s outskirts.
Meanwhile, Gaza-based militants continued rocket fire into Israel. Two rockets launched earlier in the day were intercepted near border communities, while five more were fired toward Ashdod in the evening. Four were downed by air defenses and one fell in an open area, with no injuries reported. The attacks came amid Yom Kippur and coincided with the Israeli Navy intercepting a flotilla attempting to break Gaza’s maritime blockade.
The IDF also reported a technical malfunction when an air-launched munition exploded prematurely over the Mediterranean Sea.
Despite the mounting pressure, Katz said Israel’s goals remain unchanged: to secure the return of hostages, dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure, and bring an end to the war.
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