Israel yesterday expanded its ground operation in Gaza, sending in tanks and infantry backed by massive strikes from the air and sea.
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said “the ground shook in Gaza,” and that the war against the territory’s Hamas rulers had entered a new stage.
The bombardment, described by Gaza residents as the most intense of the war, also knocked out most communications in Gaza, largely cutting off the enclave’s 2.3 million people from the world.
Photo: AFP
The Israeli military released grainy images showing tank columns moving slowly in open areas of Gaza, many apparently near the border, and said warplanes bombed dozens of Hamas tunnels and underground bunkers.
The underground sites are a key target in Israel’s campaign to crush Hamas after its bloody incursion in Israel three weeks ago.
“We moved to the next stage in the war,” Gallant said in remarks broadcast yesterday. “Last evening, the ground shook in Gaza. We attacked above ground and underground... The instructions to the forces are clear. The campaign will continue until further notice.”
His comments signaled the gradual ramping up toward what is expected to evolve into an all-out ground offensive in northern Gaza.
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza rose to just more than 7,700 people since Oct. 7, with 377 deaths reported since late on Friday, the territory’s health ministry said.
Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra told reporters that the disruption of communications had “totally paralyzed” the health network.
Residents had no way of calling ambulances, and emergency teams were chasing the sounds of artillery barrages and airstrikes to search for people in need.
Some civilians were using their bare hands to pull injured people from the rubble and loading them into personal cars or donkey carts to rush them to the hospital.
“The bombs were everywhere, the building was shaking,” said Hind al-Khudary, a journalist in central Gaza and one of a few people with cellphone service. “We can’t reach anyone or contact anyone. I do not know where my family is.”
Across Gaza, civilians were huddling in homes and shelters with food and water supplies running out.
The UN General Assembly on Friday called by a large majority for an “immediate humanitarian truce” in Gaza.
The nonbinding resolution, criticized by Israel and the US for failing to mention Hamas, received 120 votes in favor, 14 against and 45 abstentions from UN members.
Israel angrily dismissed the measure, and said the country would use “every means at our disposal” in confronting Hamas.
Hamas welcomed the call for a break in the conflict.
“We demand its immediate application to allow the entry of fuel and humanitarian aid for civilians,” a Hamas statement said.
The rival Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry said that as Israel’s campaign “reaches a new peak of brutality,” there was “a solid international position rejecting Israel’s unhinged aggression.”
Additional reporting by AFP
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