Israel tightens grip on Gaza City ahead of Trump-Netanyahu talks
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to meet President Donald Trump at the White House, Israeli forces are advancing slowly on the outskirts of Gaza City in an ongoing operation to seize the area.
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, Israeli troops advanced in Gaza City, encircling the al-Shati refugee camp on its outskirts over the weekend.
The advance marks a new stage in Israel’s months-long push to seize Gaza City as Netanyahu faces growing pressure at home to show progress. But in Washington, Trump is expected to press him to accept a US-brokered framework for ending the war, centered on an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and a phased Israeli withdrawal.
Al-Shati is a dense neighborhood long considered a Hamas stronghold. The operation is part of Israel’s broader plan to take control of Gaza City neighborhood by neighborhood.
Al-Shati sits on Gaza’s northern coastline in greater Gaza City. Over the years, tall buildings replaced the original shacks and small houses of the refugee camp. It is bordered by the low-income Sheikh Radwan neighborhood to the east and the wealthier Rimal district to the south, home to Shifa Hospital. Israeli forces struck all three areas in November 2023, but officials believe Hamas has since rebuilt its presence there.
According to Israeli military estimates, hundreds of Hamas fighters are hiding in al-Shati and much of the tunnel infrastructure there survived earlier attacks. Around 800,000 of Gaza City’s estimated one million residents have already fled south toward the al-Muwasi area, according to the Defense Ministry.
Channel 12 reported that Israeli troops advancing around al-Shati were met with RPG fire and roadside bombs as some Hamas militants abandoned outlying positions to regroup deeper in the city.
Four Israeli divisions are operating across greater Gaza City, with Division 98 leading the al-Shati push. Progress has been deliberately slow, officials say, amid fear for hostages held somewhere in the city.
The current campaign follows earlier incursions into Zaitoun, al-Sabra and Sheikh Radwan. Zaitoun was seized in August, while control of al-Sabra — Gaza City’s largest neighborhood — remains unclear. Fighting has continued in Sheikh Radwan since September.
Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir, who approved Operation Gideon Chariots 2 in mid-August, said during a Sept. 16 visit to front-line units that troops were pushing deeper in Gaza City with significant intelligence support. A military spokesperson has acknowledged that parts of the city are under Israeli control, but warned that fully taking Gaza City could take months.
