The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continued intensified operations in Gaza City on September 16th, 2025, with a stabilization rate of over 80% for their forces, according to i24news. This comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously stated his belief that Qatar was never neutral in the conflict and requested a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump for late October. The IDF's 98th Division is engaged in Operation Gideon B within Gaza City, which the military designates as Hamas's central military and governing hub. Over the past week, the Israeli Air Force has carried out strikes on more than 850 targets in the city, with the IDF estimating the presence of 2,000-2,500 skilled terrorists and several thousand recruited teenagers. The commander of the Southern Command, Gen. Yaniv Asor, has confirmed the operation's second phase aimed at conquering Gaza City, with the IDF aiming to control over 90% of Gaza City areas within the next ten days. In separate but related developments, Israeli security forces conducted an operation in Qalqilya in the northern West Bank between 1:48 PM and 2:02 PM UTC on September 16th, 2025, resulting in the deaths of two Palestinian gunmen and the arrest of two others. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported 428 deaths attributed to famine and malnutrition in Gaza as of September 16th, 2025, including 146 children. Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot announced the formation of his new political party, "Straight! With Eisenkot," on September 16th, 2025, with polls suggesting it could win between 6 and 12 Knesset seats. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has criticized the situation in Gaza City as a "systematic destruction" and deemed the war "unacceptable morally, politically and legally."
