Gaza burning as Israel launches ground assault

GAZA, Sept 16 (Reuters): Israel announced the start of its long-awaited ground operation into Gaza City on Tuesday, declaring "Gaza is burning".
An Israeli military official said the Israeli Defence Forces had 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.
The military gave few initial details but said its troops had begun "dismantling Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza City". Residents should leave. "Gaza is burning," Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on X.
A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had incited these acts.
It cites examples of the scale of the killings, aid blockages, forced displacement and the destruction of a fertility clinic to back up its genocide finding, adding its voice to rights groups and others that have reached the same conclusion.