Israel has announced that it will expand ground operations. However, it is unclear whether the ground offensive also began with this. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate. The News.
Three weeks after the devastating massacre by Islamist terrorists, new counterattacks by the Israeli army indicate an intensification of the Gaza war. After a number of air raids during the night, suspicions grew that the expected ground offensive might have begun.
Israel’s army did not initially confirm this – but had previously announced that it would expand its ground operations against Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip. The situation in the Gaza Strip has become even worse with the collapse of the communications network.
Hamas speaks of Israeli ground operations
The Islamist organization’s military wing claimed there were ground operations by the Israeli army and violent clashes in Beit Hanun in the north of the Gaza Strip and east of the Al-Bureij refugee camp. Both places are close to the border. The information provided by the Al-Kassam Brigades from late Friday evening could not be independently verified.
According to the military, the troops are still on site. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel was “advancing in the phases of war.” During the night, “Israeli troops advanced into the north of the Gaza Strip and expanded ground operations,” he said. Infantry, armored troops, engineering corps and artillery are involved. The ground troops are still on site. There were no casualties among the Israeli soldiers.
Israel’s army had previously announced that it would expand its ground operations in the densely populated coastal area. It was initially unclear whether the announcement marked the start of the expected ground offensive. The army had previously made isolated, time-limited advances on the ground. Jordan’s Foreign Minister Aiman Safadi expressed his conviction: “Israel has just launched a ground war against Gaza,” he wrote on X. “The result will be a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions for years.”
Israel’s military: Hamas drone officer “deactivated”
Israel says it has killed the person responsible for air defense for the Islamist organization Hamas and co-planner of the terrorist attack on October 7th. Based on intelligence information, a fighter jet “knocked out” Asem Abu Rakaba, the military said on Telegram. Accordingly, Abu Rakaba looked after drones, paragliders and aerial reconnaissance and defense for Hamas. The Israeli army released a video showing the explosion of a building from the air.
Israel’s military kills several Hamas fighters
Israel’s army says it has also killed several Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip. Israeli fighter jets also attacked 150 targets during the night, the Israeli military said on social media. These included tunnels as well as underground spaces and infrastructure. A video that was distributed showed footage of numerous impacts.
Army spokesman: Israel will enable further aid deliveries to Gaza
The Israeli army announces an increase in humanitarian aid deliveries to the Palestinian population. “We are extending humanitarian assistance to the residents of the Gaza Strip who have gone to the area south of Wadi Gaza,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Saturday. During the course of the day, trucks with food, water and medicine will be allowed to be imported into the south of the coastal strip. “Whoever is in this area will receive these,” Hagari said.
The Israeli army had repeatedly urged people in the north of the Gaza Strip to flee to the south of the sealed-off coastal strip for their own safety. According to the military, at least around 700,000 people have already done this. The United Nations even speaks of 1.4 million internally displaced people.
Concern for Hamas hostages after expanding ground operations
Following the expansion of Israeli ground operations in the Gaza Strip, around 600 people in Tel Aviv took part in a solidarity run for the hostages held there. They wore starting numbers with names and pictures of the hostages, as the Israeli broadcaster Kan reported.
The Israeli news site ynet reported that relatives of the hostages had called for an urgent meeting with the so-called war cabinet after the ground operations were expanded. “That night was the worst of all so far, and we spent it in great fear,” ynet quoted relatives from a statement. There is great uncertainty regarding the fate of the hostages in Gaza, “who are being held there and are also exposed to heavy bombardment.”
Further rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli border towns
Meanwhile, Israeli border towns continued to be shelled from the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Warning sirens wailed several times in the towns bordering the coastal strip, the Israeli army said.
The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamist organization Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip, claimed responsibility for an attack on the town of Zikim.
No communication in the Gaza Strip – concern about reporting
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is already catastrophic – and could become even worse in the event of a ground offensive with bloody street battles between residential buildings, even more air strikes and possibly artillery fire. The Palestinian Telecommunications Company also stated that all communications services and the Internet were now out across the board. The West Bank-based company Paltel said the heavy bombing by the Israeli army was to blame.
Several aid organizations reported losing contact with their employees. The Palestinian Red Crescent lost contact with all operations centers and teams in the Gaza Strip. It is feared that the emergency services will no longer be able to provide emergency medical services. The emergency call center was also affected by the outage. The World Health Organization (WHO) also says it no longer has contact with its employees and facilities.
The UN children’s fund Unicef, the UN development program UNDP and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) also say they no longer have contact with their colleagues in Gaza.
The situation in the combat zone is also extremely dangerous for journalists who risk their lives to report from there. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said more than 29 media workers had been killed since the Hamas terror attack three weeks ago. The organization also warned that a failure in the communications network could also prevent further messages from being spread from there.
Solidarity with Palestinians and protests for a ceasefire
In Jordan, thousands of people protested in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In the capital Amman, crowds marched through the city center after Friday prayers, Al-Ghad television reported.
In the evening, demonstrators also gathered in front of the Israeli embassy after Israel announced its expanded ground operations. Police used tear gas to disperse them, as seen in videos on social media. There were also expressions of solidarity for the Palestinians in other Arab countries.
Numerous Palestinians also protested in the West Bank yesterday evening, Israeli media reported. In Ramallah, Hebron and many other places in the West Bank, people also took to the streets to show their solidarity with the majority of Gaza Strip residents. Hundreds of people demonstrated for a ceasefire at Grand Central Station in New York.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
