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Israel's update on Hamas war: Entered north Gaza, still 'in the field'
Israel-Hamas War: Israel had earlier made only brief sorties into Gaza during three weeks of bombardment to root out Hamas.
Israel's military widened its air and ground attacks on the Palestinian enclave suggesting that a long promised ground offensive had begun as Hamas pledged to confront Israeli attacks with “full force”. Israeli military said that it had entered North Gaza on Friday night and were still in the field, without elaborating. The country had earlier made only brief sorties into Gaza during three weeks of bombardment to root out Hamas which had killed 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7.
"The forces are still in the field and continuing the war," Rear admiral Daniel Hagari said as Gaza was under an almost complete blackout, with internet and phone services cut for more than 12 hours. Israel would allow trucks carrying food, water and medicine to enter Gaza on Saturday, indicating that bombing might pause, Daniel Hagari said.
Daniel Hagari had earlier informed that Israel's ground forces were widening their operations along with extensive air strikes on tunnels dug by Hamas and other infrastructure.
"In addition to the attacks carried out in the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight," he said, adding, “Overnight, IDF fighter jets struck 150 underground targets in the northern Gaza Strip, including terror tunnels, underground combat spaces and additional underground infrastructure. Furthermore, several Hamas terrorists were killed.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said that the blackout was "making it impossible" for ambulances to reach the injured in Gaza.
"Evacuation of patients is not possible under such circumstances, nor to find safe shelter," he said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
What has Hamas said so far?
Hamas said that its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops in areas near the border with Israel.
The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam brigades, said that its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops in Gaza's northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and in the central area of Al-Bureij.
"Al-Qassam Brigades and all Palestinian resistance forces are fully prepared to confront the aggression with full force and thwart the incursions," it said.
