The metropolis west of Baghdad is much more than just a city gripped by ISIS. It's also a bastion of history and symbolism, including for the United States.
Falluja was the first Iraqi city captured by ISIS in January 2014 -- dealing a significant blow to Iraq as well as Western countries trying to contain or eradicate the terror group.
The population dwindled from 300,000 to about 100,000.
Sunni extremist groups such as ISIS and its predecessor, al Qaeda, portray Falluja as a symbol of resistance -- especially given the city's close proximity to Baghdad.
Who's involved in the operation to retake Falluja?
A mix of Iraqi army, police, anti-terrorism units, Sunni tribal militias and what are known as the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) -- Shia-dominated militias trained by Iran -- are participating in the offensive.
U.S. warplanes will provide some air cover, but will have to do so selectively because the United States doesn't want to give the impression it's providing air support for pro-Iranian forces.
What's life like in the city?
Dire. Under ISIS control, residents have suffered from a severe lack of food, water, medicine and other supplies.
The Iraqi military, bolstered by recently delivered U.S.-made F-16 fighter aircraft, has been bombarding targets in and around the city for weeks.
And the worst may be yet to come.
The Iraqi air force recently dropped thousands of leaflets over Falluja warning civilians of the impending violence and urging them to flee -- but ISIS is reportedly preventing residents from doing so.
As of Wednesday, about 20,000 children remain trapped in the city because very few families have been able to leave, according UNICEF, the United Nations' children's agency.
"As the violence continues to escalate in Falluja and across Iraq, we are concerned over the protection of children in the face of extreme and rising danger," UNICEF's Iraq spokesman Peter Hawkins said in a statement.
"Children face the risk of forced recruitment into the fighting ... and separation from their families."
Why tout the operation early?
The Iraqi government started touting the planned operation to retake Falluja last week. And Iraqi media has covered the buildup extensively.
All this may seem bizarre, since it could give ISIS more time to prepare and to beef up its forces in Falluja.
What makes Falluja unique?
Falluja was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting between U.S. forces and insurgents during the American occupation of Iraq.
Then, in November 2004, a U.S. attempt to drive insurgents (such as al Qaeda) out of Falluja resulted in some of the hardest, bloodiest warfare American troops had experienced since Vietnam.
The weeks-long operation ultimately succeeded in clearing out the insurgents, but it left Falluja a city of smoldering ruins.
That was, of course, until ISIS got hold of it in 2014.
What's next?
Even if Iraqi forces take back Falluja, an even bigger challenge looms: trying to take back Mosul, the country's second-largest city.
ISIS took over Mosul in June 2014 in what many call a humiliating defeat of the Iraqi army. According to some accounts, as few as 400 ISIS fighters bested 10,000 soldiers and police and captured a massive arsenal of U.S.-supplied equipment -- including 2,000 Humvees.
And recent history has proven that defeating ISIS is a mammoth challenge. It took several failed attempts to crush ISIS in neighboring Ramadi -- and much of that city remains uninhabitable.
It's unclear what Falluja will look like when or if Iraqi forces manage to wrest the crucial city from ISIS' control.
CNN's Ben Wedeman, Jethro Mullen and Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report.
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