Two Israeli Divisions Advance in Gaza Amid Announced U.S. Support

SadaNews - An Israeli military official stated on Tuesday that Israel has begun the main stage of a ground operation to seize control of Gaza City, just hours after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in occupied Jerusalem and informed him that Washington stands by Israel.

Israeli army radio reported the launch of the next phase of the "Gideon Vehicles 2" operation, with two divisions maneuvering towards the center of Gaza City.

The occupation army clarified that the regular divisions 162 and 98 are leading the operation in Gaza City, and the 36th division will gradually join the operation in the coming days.

On Tuesday morning, Israeli warships opened fire in the northwest of Gaza City, while an Israeli "Apache" helicopter fired at eastern areas of Gaza City.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the Israeli army anticipates that the operation in Gaza City will conclude within a few months.

For his part, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Occupation Army, Eyal Zamir, emphasized that military action will not yield results without a decisive political decision regarding the future of the Gaza Strip.