2023-10-28 08:38:02
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli warplanes bombed Hamas tunnels and underground bunkers in the northern Gaza Strip, the military said Saturday, in a new escalation of its campaign to crush the insurgent group that rules the Palestinian territory after their deadly raid into southern Israel three weeks ago.
Israeli aircraft hit dozens of underground targets, the army added. As part of its air offensive, Israel cut off communications and created a near-total communications vacuum, largely isolating the 2.3 million residents in the besieged territory from the outside world.
The Israeli military announced Friday that it was expanding its ground operations in the enclave, another sign that a full invasion of Gaza is approaching. Military officials said one of the key targets will be Hamas’ vast network of underground tunnels and bunkers, many of which are beneath Gaza City in the north of the territory.
Explosions from the continued shelling lit up the sky over Gaza City for hours after dark.
The Palestinian telecommunications provider, Paltel, indicated that the bombings caused the “total interruption” of internet, landline and cell phone services. The cut means that the casualties caused by the Israeli offensive or the details of its ground incursions cannot be immediately known. Some satellite phones were still working.
The Palestinian population, plunged into darkness for weeks after Israel cut off electricity and fuel supplies, is now isolated, crowded into homes and shelters, and running out of food and water. Attempts to contact residents in Gaza by telephone yielded no results early Saturday.
Israeli ground forces were “expanding their activity” on Friday night in Gaza and “acting with great force… to achieve the objectives of the war,” said army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. Israel maintains that its attacks target Hamas fighters and infrastructure and that the militants operate among civilians, putting them in danger.
The Hamas press center reported intense nighttime fighting with Israeli forces at various points, including what it identified as an Israeli incursion east of the Bureij Camp, in the center of the enclave. Asked about this information, the Israeli army reiterated early Saturday that it has carried out targeted raids and expanded its attacks to “prepare the ground for future stages of the operation.”
Israel has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops along the border ahead of an expected ground offensive. Since midweek, the military has reported hours-long nighttime raids by its ground forces in Gaza and claimed they attacked Hamas targets to prepare for the ground battle.
The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza has exceeded 7,300, of which more than 60% are women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The Israeli blockade of the territory has reduced supplies and the United Nations warned that its operations to help hundreds of thousands of people were “unraveling” due to a lack of fuel.
More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas attack on October 7, and at least 229 were taken hostage and taken to Gaza. Among the casualties were at least 310 soldiers, according to the army.
1698484064
#Israeli #planes #bomb #Hamas #tunnels #Gaza #phase #offensive