Israeli forces fight through the night as ground operations in Gaza intensify

Throughout the night, Israeli troops engaged in a much larger ground operation in Gaza. This was accompanied by a heavy airstrike that resulted in the majority of communication channels in the area being disabled.

According to Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, who speaks for Israel's military, the Israel Defense Forces have been conducting small-scale raids into Gaza for the last two nights. They are currently stepping up their operations on the ground.

The increase in violence happened two days after Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Israel, announced to the entire country that they were getting ready for a "land invasion" of Gaza. However, it is still unclear if the current military actions are leading up to a bigger war.

In the latest update, IDF has claimed to have attacked 150 locations controlled by Hamas during the night. The military organization targeted tunnels, combat spaces, and underground infrastructure operated by Hamas. Moreover, the IDF has reported having eliminated Asem Abu Rakaba, who is believed to have headed the Aerial Array unit of Hamas, responsible for launching paragliders in the October 7 attack on Israel.

A footage posted by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) shows numerous tanks from Israel moving within the Gaza Strip, firing at unidentified objectives.

Hamas' military branch reported on Telegram that they were amidst "forceful confrontations" with Israeli troops in northern Gaza by Beit Hanoun and also in the middle of the area, close by Bureij, a camp for refugees.

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Protests erupted in several cities in the occupied West Bank on Friday night, including Ramallah, Jenin, and Nablus. Social media images showed large crowds taking to the streets. Local sources reported that Israeli settlers attacked the village of Masafar Yada, and the news agency Wafa reported that five Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire in Qalqilya. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people responded to a call by religious leaders in Gaza to perform morning prayers on the streets. Many of these prayers turned into protests. Following the recent escalation, the UN General Assembly adopted a Jordanian resolution that demanded an "immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce" and called on all parties to abide by international humanitarian law.

A decision was made and it was approved by 120 people out of 134. There were 45 countries that chose not to vote, and one of them was the UK. The United States was one of those who did not approve the decision.

According to John Kirby, who speaks for the National Security Council at the White House, the US isn't establishing any boundaries for Israel. However, Washington will still communicate its anxieties about the Israeli army's tactics in the ongoing disagreement.

In the past few days, both the United States and Israel have cautioned Iran and its allies against intensifying the conflict. This comes after Hizbollah, a militant group in southern Lebanon, engaged in a cross-border fire exchange with Israeli forces. Additionally, Houthi militants in Yemen launched missiles that the US claimed were likely meant for Israel.

On Thursday, the government of Washington declared that it had targeted two buildings in the eastern part of Syria that it believed were connected to militias supported by Iran. This action came in response to a series of over twelve attacks on American troops in that area over the past few weeks.

The nation of Israel summoned up 360,000 military personnel and dispatched a considerable amount of them near Gaza, following an ambush by Hamas on October 7 that shook Israel to its core and resulted in the biggest casualty count since Israel's establishment in 1948.

According to reports from Israeli officials, over 1,400 people lost their lives in the recent conflict, while over 5,400 individuals were injured. Furthermore, more than 200 people were taken hostage by Hamas militants. Palestinian officials have reported that more than 7,300 individuals have been killed as a result of Israeli counterattacks in Gaza, and approximately 19,000 have been injured.

Netanyahu has been facing stress regarding his strategies for war, as some government officials are pushing for a more forceful approach towards Hamas's attack. However, there are also opposing opinions, including those from other countries, asking Israel to postpone their invasion so that they can rescue the hostages from Gaza.

Paltel, a telecommunications company in Palestine, stated that due to the attack by Israel, all links to Gaza from the outside world have been ruined.

The Palestinian Red Crescent has reported that they are unable to communicate with their operations room in Gaza. This has caused a major issue for their emergency medical services teams, and they are very worried about their ability to continue helping those in need.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed worry about the well-being of health workers in Gaza and other locations. According to him, the organization has been unable to communicate with them, which is causing him great concern for their safety and the safety of the people under their care. He shared these concerns on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology in Palestine, Ishaq Sidr, informed the viewers of Palestine TV that Israeli fighter planes had targeted the telecommunications system, including two crucial points that connect Gaza to the rest of the world. This destructive action has had a serious impact on the local ambulance services, making it even more difficult to react quickly in emergency situations. Additionally, it has prevented Gazans from sharing and recording the real-time footage of the ongoing Israeli attacks.

The conditions in Gaza are very bad because there isn't much electricity, water, fuel or food available due to the blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt since Hamas took control in 2007. This is causing serious problems for the people living there.

On Friday, Philippe Lazzarini, who leads UNRWA - the UN's agency that provides assistance to Palestinians - stated that the public amenities and civic structure in the area containing 2.3 million individuals were disintegrating. Additionally, the streets were inundated with sewage.

According to Lazzarini, our assistance effort is falling apart, and there are reports from UN personnel claiming that individuals are experiencing hunger for the first time.

UNRWA reports that over 1.4 million individuals have been forced to leave their homes and approximately 641,000 are currently residing in emergency shelters designated by the United Nations.

Myles McCormick in Houston also contributed to this report.