JERUSALEM, SEPT 16 (AFP/APP/DNA):Israel unleashed a massive new bombing campaign on Gaza City on Tuesday after visiting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed the ally’s goal of eradicating Hamas and warned that only days may be left for a diplomatic solution.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said early Tuesday that Gaza City, the territory’s main urban hub, was “on fire”.
“We will not relent and we will not back down until the mission is accomplished,” Katz said.
Witnesses told AFP of heavy, relentless bombing on Gaza City, much of which is already in rubble after nearly two years of Israeli bombardment since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
“We can hear their screams,” said 25-year-old resident Ahmed Ghazal.
Rubio on Monday offered robust backing for the offensive as he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has asked the Israeli military to seize Gaza City.
Pointing to the fresh operations, Rubio told reporters as he left Israel: “We think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen. We don’t have months anymore, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks to go.”
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