MOSCOW, September 17. /TASS/. Israel has launched a ground offensive in Gaza, the EU moves to intensify the Ukraine conflict with the drones provocation, and the Zapad 2025 military exercise has wrapped up. These stories topped Wednesday's headlines across Russia.
Israel may find itself in an economic and political isolation after launching the operation to capture Gaza City. Middle Eastern countries are already discussing the possibility of suspending the Jewish state's membership in the United Nations. And a commission established by the UN Human Rights Council accused Israel of four out of the five acts of genocide in the enclave. Against this background, new sanctions are being considered in Europe with a number of Western countries planning to recognize Palestinian sovereignty. Meanwhile, the number of victims of the new IDF operation is growing: during the first hours of the operation, at least 68 civilians were killed, including children, Arab media reported.
"Gaza, as one of the most densely populated cities in the territory, is characterized by both high-density development and the presence of a large number of hidden communications below (including tunnels and shelters), which seriously complicates the advance and mop-up. The Israelis, apparently, intend to use their numerical and technological advantage again to occupy key areas and split the main defense nodes of the underground," Eastern studies expert Leonid Tsukanov told Izvestia.
