dw.com
Israel Launches Ground Operation in Gaza After Days of Airstrikes
Following days of airstrikes, Israel initiated a ground operation in Gaza City on September 15th, 2025, aiming to recapture the city, resulting in significant destruction, displacement, and international reactions.
- What is the immediate impact of the Israeli ground operation in Gaza?
- The ground operation, initiated after days of airstrikes, has intensified the conflict, causing further destruction to Gaza City's infrastructure and increasing the number of displaced persons to 796,000 as of late August 2025, according to the UN. The operation also jeopardizes the lives of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, potentially leading to further casualties.
- What are the potential long-term consequences of the ground offensive and the international response?
- The ground operation risks escalating the conflict further, potentially leading to protracted violence and long-term instability. While some Arab nations strongly condemned Israel's actions, the international response is varied; some countries may reconsider diplomatic and economic ties with Israel, but others, like the UAE and Bahrain, may maintain their recent agreements. The fate of remaining hostages remains uncertain and is a major concern amidst the ongoing conflict.
- How has the conflict affected Gaza City prior to the ground operation, and what are the broader implications?
- Before the ground operation, Israeli airstrikes severely damaged Gaza's infrastructure, with an estimated $7.29 billion in damages in Gaza municipality alone (Al Jazeera, April 2024, citing UN and World Bank report). A UNITAR report (September 2025) documented 36,611 damaged buildings, including 8,578 completely destroyed. These actions have caused widespread displacement and humanitarian crisis.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article presents a relatively balanced account of the conflict, detailing the destruction in Gaza and the concerns for Israeli hostages. However, the framing of Hamas as "terrorists" throughout the text, without further qualification, might subtly influence the reader's perception and could be considered a framing bias. The article also focuses heavily on the humanitarian crisis and the potential risks to hostages, which might overshadow other political aspects of the conflict.
Language Bias
The use of the term "terrorists" to describe Hamas is a loaded term that carries a strong negative connotation. While factually accurate in describing their actions, this consistent labeling contributes to a biased presentation and could be mitigated by occasional use of more neutral descriptions like "militants" or specifying their actions, e.g., "Hamas militants who carried out the October 7th attacks". Similarly, the repeated description of Israeli actions as "attacks" could be considered subtly biased. More neutral language such as "military operations" or "airstrikes" would offer a less loaded perspective.
Bias by Omission
The article omits discussion of potential Israeli motivations and justifications for the military operations beyond the stated goal of combating Hamas. It also lacks details about international efforts beyond the UN's statements to mediate the conflict or impose sanctions. The relatively limited representation of Israeli perspectives beyond official statements about targeted strikes could be considered an omission, potentially leading to an incomplete understanding of the complexities driving the conflict. The focus is heavily weighted toward the humanitarian crisis and plight of the Gazan people, which while important, overshadows other potentially vital viewpoints.
False Dichotomy
The article avoids presenting a false dichotomy by acknowledging the complex situation with multiple perspectives. However, the inherent tension between the Israeli military operation and the humanitarian crisis could be seen as an implicit, unavoidable eitheor framing of the conflict, implying a difficulty of resolving both simultaneously.
Sustainable Development Goals
The conflict and displacement caused by the Israeli military operations in Gaza have exacerbated existing poverty and created new instances of poverty among affected populations. Destruction of infrastructure and loss of livelihoods directly impact the economic stability of families, pushing them further into poverty. The large-scale displacement also creates immense financial burdens for both displaced families and host communities.