Multiple Palestinians killed as IDF continues ground offensive in Gaza City

Israeli ground operations continued in Gaza City on Monday, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported close-quarters combat with Hamas militants, resulting in the death of multiple Palestinians.

According to Gaza-based health authorities, at least 37 Palestinians were killed across the Palestinian enclave on Monday as a result of Israeli military operations.

The IDF also announced that ahead of the Jewish holiday season -- which began on Monday evening with the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah -- it "has bolstered combat zones with forces in the air, at sea, on land, and across all operational units".

On the same day, the chief of the IDF Central Command, Major General Avi Bluth, warned of an escalation in the West Bank over the Jewish holiday season. He pointed to recent international developments -- specifically, the formal recognition of the State of Palestine by multiple countries -- as a contributing factor to the heightened volatility.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday that Israel can and must destroy what he called the "Iranian axis".

He said that the coming year would be "a historic year for Israel's security", adding that the country is "determined to achieve all its war objectives".

The death toll in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip has risen to 71,441 since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on Oct 7, 2023, with the number of injuries reaching 171,329, said Gaza's health authorities on Thursday.

In the past 24 hours, hospitals in Gaza received two bodies, according to the health authorities.

Since the ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct 11, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 451 people and wounded 1,251 others in the Gaza Strip.