'Very complex military operation': Israeli troops tighten encirclement of Gaza City
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00:00 The IDF, Israel's armed forces, have said that they are surrounding the city,
00:05 the largest city in the Gaza Strip there, up in the north of Gaza.
00:10 They say they've advanced towards another stage of this war,
00:14 that coming from senior IDF leaders in statements a short time ago.
00:18 Of course, we're not on the ground ourselves in Gaza.
00:20 To verify that information, international press is not being allowed in.
00:25 But they have said that they have been pushing forward, backed up by Israeli air power
00:30 and also by naval forces, missile boats stationed in the Mediterranean off the coast of Gaza.
00:36 There have been reports of very intense fighting of Hamas militants,
00:40 fighting the Israeli forces from their network of tunnels,
00:45 emerging to inflict casualties on them, ambushes.
00:49 And as the Israeli troops push on in towards Gaza City itself,
00:54 that is set to be a very complex military operation indeed.
00:57 Until recently, a very densely populated area.
01:00 There are still a great number of civilians remaining there.
01:03 We don't know exactly how many.
01:05 But of course, Hamas has had time to prepare booby traps for them.
01:09 And urban warfare in any case is extremely complicated.
01:12 So this could be a very tough fight for the Israeli forces.
01:16 And of course, huge concern for the civilians still in the Gaza Strip.
01:20 Israel's military and Israeli leaders have called on them
01:23 to move south in previous days towards the Gaza Strip.
01:27 But there have also been bombings in the south of Gaza towards Hanounis as well.
01:31 And the UN has been saying there's no safe place in Gaza.
01:34 So it's a huge concern about what happens as this military offensive presses on.
01:40 In fact, a UN group of rapporteur has put out a report,
01:45 seven independent rapporteurs from the UN,
01:48 saying that they believe the Palestinian people is at grave risk of a genocide.
01:53 Israel has hit back at those words,
01:55 accusing the UN there of parroting Hamas talking points.
01:58 But of course, the situation for people there remains very dire as this war continues.