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Israel has launched its long-awaited ground operation into Gaza City on Tuesday.
Israeli Defence Forces have begun the main stage of their ground operation into Gaza City, the main urban centre in the enclave, where Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of residents to flee.
Residents said bombardment of the city had been ramped up dramatically over the past two days, with heavier explosions that destroyed dozens of homes, and naval boats joining tanks and planes in the bombardment of the coast.
RUBIO SHOWS US SUPPORT FOR ISRAELI HARD LINE
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who visited on Monday, offered apparent backing for the Israeli government's decision to abandon ceasefire talks and use force to smash Hamas.
While the United States wished to see a diplomatic end to the war, "we have to be prepared for the possibility that's not going to happen", Rubio said. He endorsed the Israeli demand that Hamas surrender its weapons and free all remaining hostages at once, as the only way to end the war.
Gaza health officials reported at least 24 people killed, most of them in Gaza City, in the early hours of the assault.
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