Gaza: Israel Intensifies Ground Operations

Israeli military tanks have been reported in Southern Gaza as the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) intensified the war against Hamas fighters after talks about a ceasefire collapsed last Friday.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari yesterday confirmed the raid on Southern Gaza, which, he said, had neutralised many of the fleeing Hamas fighters which Hamas-controlled health ministry said had killed nearly 700 people in just over 24 hours.

Witnesses and local journalists in the Gaza Strip said they’ve seen Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles on the outskirts of the southern city of Khan Younis

A surgeon at a hospital in the southern city described a “chaotic” situation there, after heavy bombing over the past day

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has continued to push southwards, saying it’s expanding its ground operation to cover “all areas” of the Palestinian territory

Using social media and leaflet drops, the IDF gave fresh evacuation orders in Gaza – amid warnings from aid groups that people were fleeing out of places

An adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted there are “designated safer zones” for people to go to, after top US officials called on the IDF to ensure it protected civilians

The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killed 1,200 people, with around 240 others taken hostage

Since then, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 15,800 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory campaign, including about 6,000 children