Israeli ground troops are in the Gaza Strip and entered the enclave from the north overnight, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Saturday morning.
Israeli forces have “entered the Gaza Strip and expanded the ground operation involving infantry, tank and engineer units as well as artillery with heavy fire,” Hagari said during a news conference in Tel Aviv.
“The armed forces are on the ground and continuing fighting,” he said, without giving further details.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) The spokesman’s words confirm that the military operation has undergone a significant expansion after two “targeted raids” that took place on Wednesday evening and Thursday evening. In both attacks, the ground troops withdrew after a few hours.
However, it does not appear that a major ground offensive aimed at capturing and controlling significant areas of the territory is underway yet.
Hagari said the army suffered no casualties in the night’s fighting, adding: “We continue to do everything we can to ensure the safety of our forces.”
The IDF spokesman said Gazans who had moved south of Wadi Gaza, a waterway that cuts through the middle of the strip, were in an area he described as a “protected space” and were getting more food today , received water and medication, but he did not give any details.
Hagari also reiterated his call to ignore rumors of a hostage deal with Hamas, calling it a cynical move by the group aimed at promoting what he called “psychological terror.”
“Repatriating the hostages home is the highest national effort. And all our operational activities are aimed at achieving this goal,” he said.