The Israel Defense Forces expanded its ground operations in the Gaza Strip on Friday night, an Israeli military officer announced ahead of an expected full-scale invasion of the Hamas-run territory.
“In the last few hours, we expanded the number of airstrikes in Gaza in a very significant way,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said of its latest air raids and artillery strikes on northern Gaza. “In addition to the offensive activity we have conducted in recent days, our ground forces are expanding their operations tonight. The IDF is operating in all dimensions in order to accomplish the goals of the war.”
The latest development in the Israel-Hamas war came as internet and phone services were cut in the bombarded region, leaving Palestinians in the dark as to what will happen next in the conflict. In response, Hamas militants fired rockets on Tel Aviv and other cities in central Israel.
If a ground invasion does occur, it’s unclear how long it would last as Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant told reporters on Friday it “will take a long time.” In recent days, Israeli forces have been conducting limited ground raids in Gaza to prepare for a larger incursion.
The strategic decision to strengthen ground operations was reportedly made by Israel’s war cabinet Thursday night after no significant progress in negotiating the release of hostages held in Gaza had been made by then. Hamas terrorists are holding more than 220 hostages, many of whom are foreign nationals.
Israel’s military is continuing retaliatory strikes on northern Gaza to weaken Hamas’s military infrastructure. Hagari urged Palestinian civilians who remain in the area to migrate south of the Gaza river, “where it is much safer,” he said.
While making the announcement, the IDF spokesman also revealed that one of the Islamic terrorist group’s military bases is hidden underneath a large Gaza hospital in an extensive tunnel system. “Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa hospital — and other hospitals in Gaza — with a network of terror tunnels,” said Hagari. “Shifa is not the only hospital — it is one of many. Hamas-use of hospitals is systematic.”
The Al-Shifa Hospital is the largest hospital in Gaza with over 1,500 beds and 4,000 staff,” the IDF posted on X.
Hagari added that “concrete evidence” shows “hundreds of terrorists flooded into the hospital to hide” after Hamas launched its multi-pronged attack on Israel nearly three weeks ago, killing over 1,300 civilians since the war began.