Overview

• Israel’s defense minister confirmed the incursion began overnight Monday to Tuesday, with the military preparing to increase troop levels in Gaza City to confront an estimated few thousand Hamas fighters.
• The Israel Defense Forces say the operation seeks to dismantle Hamas infrastructure and free hostages, with commanders vowing to continue until the mission is completed.
• Hospital lists reported at least 45 deaths in recent strikes, and evacuations surged as roads south jammed with people fleeing, including roughly 350,000 residents leaving Gaza City.
• An independent commission established by the UN concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza, a claim Israel denounces as false, while the UN human rights chief said the legal determination rests with the court but evidence is accumulating.
• Israeli officials told Axios that President Donald Trump supports the operation if it is swift, and he warned Hamas after reports the group moved hostages to the surface to use them as human shields.