JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Defense Minister said on Tuesday that “Gaza is on fire” signaled a concentrated operation targeting the largest city on the Gaza Strip, signaling a fierce strike targeted by top American diplomats.
The comments from Defense Minister Israel Katz came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepared to travel to Qatar. There he planned to meet with staff there, even if he infuriated the Israeli strike last week and killed five Hamas members and local security officials.
Meanwhile, Arab and Muslim countries have denounced the strike Monday SummitThey halted major actions targeting Israel, highlighting the challenge of putting diplomatic pressure on changing Israeli actions in the Israel-Hamas War.
Rubio spoke to the journalists while leaving Israel for Qatar, suggesting that the attack had begun.
“Well, as you saw, the Israelis started operations there, so I think we have a very short time when a trade could happen,” Rubio said. “We haven’t had months anymore. We probably have days and weeks, so it’s a key moment. It’s a key moment.”
He added: “Our preference, our No. 1 choice, is that this ends with a negotiated settlement.”
Palestinian residents reported a large number of strikes across Gaza city on Tuesday morning.
One overnight strike struck a home on the west side of Gaza city, killing at least five Palestinians, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies.
Evacuated Palestinians will flee North Gaza on foot and on vehicle, carrying their belongings along the coastal road towards Gaza on Monday, September 15, 2025.
Another strike struck at least three homes in the southwest of the city, residents said. Medic was looking for a tile rub for the survivors.
“It was a heavy night,” said Radwan Hader, a shelter for Gaza residents near Shifa Hospital.
Israeli forces have not answered questions for hours about whether the attack has begun. However, Katz appears to be showing that it is ongoing in a post on social platform X.
“Gaza is on fire,” he wrote. “The (Israel army) are surprised with iron fist in the terrorist infrastructure, and (Israel) soldiers are heroically fighting to create the conditions for hostage release and Hamas’ defeat. We will not be merciless until the mission is complete.
Netanyahu and Rubio said the only way to end the conflict in Gaza is through the elimination of Hamas and the release of the remaining 48 hostages (of which around 20 are believed to be alive) but calling for a temporary ceasefire in support of an immediate termination of the conflict.
Hamas said that in return for Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire and Israelis withdrawing from Gaza, they would simply release the remaining hostages.
Israeli military flares float on Monday, September 15, 2025 on Israeli ground and over buildings destroyed during air operations in the Northern Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and acquiring 251 people. Most of the hostages were later released in ceasefires, which have been partially mediated by Qatar and other deals.
Israeli retaliatory attacks have killed at least 64,871 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The ministry, part of Hamas-run government and with medical professionals located, says women and children account for about half of the deaths.
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Gambrel reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Cairo Associated Press writer Sammy Magdi and Matthew Lee of Munich, Germany contributed to the report.
