Israeli forces enter into the Northern Gaza area and trhis timne do not retreat….
But the size of the push is NOT consistent with a complete full sale invasion effort….
The Israeli PM Netanyahu says the actions will come in stages….
Protests against the the Israel actions have grown across America and elsewhere ….
Most of the Gaza communication networks are down…
Gaza has extensive tunnel’s for miles …..
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said in a televised news conference on Saturday evening that Israeli forces had entered the Gaza Strip on Friday, beginning “the second stage of the war.” He called the campaign “our second war of independence” and warned Israelis to expect a “long and difficult” campaign.
Military officials had said earlier in the day that Israeli troops had advanced into the northern part of the enclave on Friday, accompanied by a massive aerial and artillery bombardment, and that they remained there on Saturday evening. Hamas’s armed wing confirmed on Friday night and Saturday afternoon that its forces were fighting with Israeli soldiers inside Gaza.
Neither Mr. Netanyahu, nor Israeli military officials publicly described the operation as an invasion, and the maneuver appears, so far, more limited than some experts had predicted. The military has released only brief footage of its advance, and few Palestinian accounts have emerged. Gazan internet connections and phone lines were down, making it difficult to assess the extent of the military action.
Still, it appeared to be the longest and most ambitious ground incursion into Gaza Strip since Hamas carried out cross-border attacks on Oct. 7.
Mr. Netanyahu was joined in his news conference in Tel Aviv by the defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and Benny Gantz, a former defense chief and opposition leader who is a member of the country’s newly formed wartime government. All three officials warned Israelis to expect a drawn-out conflict. Mr. Gantz said the “multistage” campaign would face difficulties and demand heavy costs.
Here’s what else to know:
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A spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry said on Al Jazeera that Israeli strikes had killed nearly 400 Palestinians in the past several hours, raising its death toll in the Strip to over 7,700, a figure that has not be independently confirmed. Previously, its updates came every few hours to their social media channels, but they have been silent since phone and internet connections were cut off.
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Groups including the World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF and the Palestinian Red Crescent said they had lost contact with staff members inside the Gaza Strip and expressed concern for their ability to continue providing critical aid.
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The humanitarian crisis for Gaza’s population of more than two million is worsening under Israeli bombardment. Supplies of fuel, food and water are running out. On Thursday, the United Nations said that its aid agency operating in Gaza had “almost exhausted its fuel reserves” and had begun to significantly reduce its operations.
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The U.S. Treasury announced new sanctions aimed at cutting off financing for Hamas, targeting its investment fund and Iranians who funnel money and support to the group. The United States estimates that Hamas controls $500 million worth of assets that it uses to finance terrorism.