Palestinian residents reported heavy strikes Tuesday across Gaza City and Israel's defense minister said that "Gaza is burning" as a new Israeli ground offensive targeted the city.

Airstrikes have pounded Gaza City for some time in the lead-up to the operation, knocking down towers in the city.

Arab and Muslim leaders called for a review of ties with Israel after emergency talks in Doha on Monday following last week's deadly strike on Hamas members in the Qatari capital.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Qatar's leader Tuesday to ask the Gulf country to stay on as a mediator in Gaza talks, a week after Israeli warplanes attacked Hamas leaders in the emirate.

Israel launched its long anticipated ground assault on Gaza City before dawn on Tuesday, shortly after visiting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed its goal of eradicating Hamas in Gaza.

A United Nations probe, meanwhile, charged Israel with committing "genocide" in the Palestinian territory and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials of incitement.

Qatar's emir said Monday that Israel had sought to derail Gaza talks by striking Hamas negotiators in his country last week, and that its premier Benjamin Netanyahu dreams of an Arab world under Israeli influence.

"Whoever works diligently and systematically to assassinate the party with whom he is negotiating, intends to thwart the negotiations... Negotiations, for them, are merely part of the war," Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani told Arab and Muslim leaders gathered in Doha to discuss the attack.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would provide "unwavering support" to Israel in the war in Gaza as he called for the eradication of Hamas during a visit to the U.S. ally on Monday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday urged Muslim countries to cut ties with Israel ahead of an summit responding to an unprecedented Israeli strike on Hamas members in Qatar.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel's vital ally voices unease over air strikes on Qatar that threaten to derail already flailing attempts to reach a Gaza ceasefire.

Leaders from Arab and Muslim countries will gather in a show of unity in Doha on Monday, a week after Israel's unprecedented strike on Hamas in Qatar prompted widespread anger.

The main Israeli group campaigning for the release of hostages held in Gaza said Saturday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the chief obstacle to freeing the captives, shortly after he accused Hamas's leaders of prolonging the war.

"The targeted operation in Qatar proved beyond any doubt that there is one obstacle to returning the... hostages and ending the war: Prime Minister Netanyahu," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement, referring to Israel's recent strike on a meeting of Hamas members in the Gulf state.