Listeners:
Top listeners:
by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have completed the encirclement of Gaza City, military officials said Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in their ground offensive.
Three IDF divisions secured control over strategic neighborhoods and access points, including Sheikh Radwan, the coastline, Sabra, and Tel al-Hawa. Military estimates suggest more than 600,000 residents have already fled the city amid the fighting.
“Hamas is currently in a state of confusion,” a military source told Maariv. “It doesn’t know where the IDF is striking from and has no clear sense of the scale of forces we’re using against them.”
Limited Clashes, Fallen Officer
Although clashes have remained limited, isolated battles have occurred. On Monday, Maj. Shahar Netanel Buzaglo, a company commander in the 77th Armored Battalion, was killed in combat.
“There has been limited movement of terrorists and the number of clashes is not large,” a military official added. “They probably prefer to dig in and preserve their strength.”
Reinforcing All Fronts
The IDF has reinforced its presence across the country as the High Holidays continue, deploying dozens of battalions on high alert. Forces have been stationed at roads, bus stops, junctions, shopping centers, and communities to bolster defenses against possible attacks.
“The many challenges before us–the fighting in Gaza City, defense in the north, and the constant battle against terrorism in Judea and Samaria–have recently converged with political statements, the holidays, the olive harvest, foreign incitement, and lone-wolf inspiration,” said IDF Central Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth. “All these are not reasons for optimism, but I am full of hope.”
Hamas Under Pressure
Reports from inside Gaza City suggest Hamas is resorting to violent measures to keep civilians from leaving. “We saw at the end of the week that Hamas attacked a UN convoy, which indicates their distress,” an Israeli source said. “We know more about the situation Hamas finds itself in in Gaza City.”
Arab media reported that IDF armored units advanced along several routes inside the city as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots. The maneuvers were supported by Israeli Air Force strikes and artillery targeting Hamas infrastructure.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, 38 people were killed and 190 wounded across Gaza in the past 24 hours.
Residents Flee Amid Hardship
Palestinian civilians continued to move southward, with Israeli officials estimating that over half a million Gazans have left Gaza City. But hundreds of thousands remain behind.
One local woman described the difficulty of leaving, saying conditions in the south were “catastrophic and unsafe.” She expressed fears that terrorists could be hiding among the displaced and appealed for help to relocate to Jericho, where her family lives.
Tanks Move Toward Key Sites
Eyewitnesses reported Israeli armored vehicles pushing into the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood and toward the Shati refugee camp, with sightings near al-Shifa hospital and a former Red Crescent building close to the Jordanian hospital. Palestinian outlets also claimed tanks were seen near UNRWA’s main headquarters in central Gaza City.
Large groups of residents were seen fleeing westward toward the coast as the IDF tightened its grip.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet early Friday approved a U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework that aims to end active hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of all remaining Israeli hostages, despite unified opposition from far-right coalition partners.
A U.S. military team of 200 personnel will be deployed across the Middle East to help oversee the newly brokered Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, senior U.S. officials confirmed Thursday, marking the next phase of President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace initiative.
China has unveiled sweeping new export restrictions on rare-earth materials and related technologies — a move analysts describe as a near-unprecedented escalation in its economic confrontation with the United States. The rules, announced Thursday by China’s Commerce Ministry, could disrupt global supply chains for critical technologies, from semiconductors and solar panels to electric vehicles and advanced weapons systems.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly admitted that Russian air defenses were responsible for downing an Azerbaijani passenger jet last December, killing 38 people, in what analysts say marks a stunning acknowledgment that further erodes Moscow’s standing among former Soviet republics.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump confirmed Thursday that he will visit Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and deliver a major address to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, amid rising hopes that his proposed ceasefire plan could end the devastating war with Hamas and bring peace to the Jewish nation and the region.
Hamas declared the end of more than two years of war between Israel and the Islamist group after both sides signed a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal aimed at establishing a permanent halt to hostilities in Gaza.
With a notoriously cold winter approaching, Russia has launched a major campaign to deny Ukraine heat, light, and running water, authorities said Wednesday.
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
Copyright The New Jerusalem Media.