Israel expanded its ground operations in the Gaza Strip overnight. According to the military, ground troops are still on site. 150 underground Hamas targets were attacked from the air and several high-ranking terrorists were killed.
The Israeli military said it expanded its ground operations in the Gaza Strip during the night. As army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced at a press conference, infantry and armored vehicles would be used in the operations. They would be supported from the air and from the sea. “The troops are still on the ground and continuing the war,” Hagari said. There were no casualties among the Israeli soldiers.
Warplanes also attacked 150 underground targets, such as tunnels, bunkers and infrastructure, the military said. In addition, several members of the militant Islamist Hamas were killed, including high-ranking commanders. On Platform A Hamas naval commander is also said to be among those killed.
Conflict parties as a source
In the current situation, information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by the Palestinian and Israeli conflict parties cannot be directly verified by an independent body.
Israel: Become Aid deliveries expand
According to Hagari, Israel will expand aid deliveries to the population in the Gaza Strip in light of the increase in ground operations: “We are expanding humanitarian aid for the residents of the Gaza Strip who have gone to the area south of Wadi Gaza.” During the course of the day, trucks with food, water and medicine will be allowed to be imported into the south of the coastal strip. “Whoever is in this area will receive this.”
Gaza cut off from communications
Following the internet and mobile phone outage in the Gaza Strip, there is currently little information about the situation of the people there. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) says it has no contact with its staff or medical facilities in the area. “It is not possible to bring patients to safety under such circumstances,” writes WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the X platform. Finding safe shelter is also not possible. Ambulances could not reach the injured.
Guillemette Thomas from the aid organization Doctors Without Borders said they had not been able to establish contact with their own employees on site for more than twelve hours. “The situation is very difficult,” Thomas told the AP news agency. “We can’t communicate with our team. We don’t know if they’re safe.”
Concern about hostages is growing
Meanwhile, there is growing concern in Israel about the fate of the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Families of the abductees demanded an explanation from the Israeli government. “The families are worried about the fate of their relatives and are waiting for explanations,” said a group of relatives. “Every minute seems like an eternity.” After a “night of fear,” the group called on Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and War Cabinet ministers to meet on Saturday.
The members expressed their “great irritation” that none of the War Cabinet members had bothered to meet with them and explain to them “whether Israeli ground operations pose a threat to the 229 hostages identified by the authorities “.