Israel's army has started a ground invasion to occupy Gaza City after weeks of relentless bombardment targeting high-rise buildings to forcibly displace Palestinians, Axios reported.

Axios cited anonymous Israeli officials on Monday, who confirmed the start of the invasion.

The escalation came shortly after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu near Al Aqsa Mosque in the occupied East Jerusalem.

The two Israeli officials said Rubio told Netanyahu that Trump supports the ground invasion, but wants to see it implemented and end quickly, the report said.

"Rubio didn't pull the breaks on the ground operation," the report cited a senior Israeli official as saying.

It further added that a US official said that Trump won't stop Netanyahu and will allow Israel to make its decision on the genocide in Gaza.

"It's not Trump's war, it's Bibi's war, and he will own whatever happens next," the US official said.

Ethnic cleansing and full destruction

Israeli top security chiefs, including the army's Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, warned Netanyahu against the move, saying it could lead to more Israeli soldier casualties and fail to defeat Hamas.

Earlier, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese condemned Israel's attacks on Gaza City, saying it aims to make it uninhabitable and a part of an ethnic cleansing plan.

Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, Albanese said Israel's aggression on Gaza's largest urban centre amounts to "full destruction."

"The ongoing assault to take the last remnant of Gaza will not only devastate the Palestinians but also endanger the remaining Israeli hostages," she said.