Israel expands attacks in Gaza, Hamas vows to respond with full force

Israeli tanks move towards the Gaza Strip border (Photo: AP)

Israeli forces say they are expanding ground operations in northern Gaza as the besieged enclave faces its biggest air strike since the outbreak of war.

Israeli troops, backed by tanks, carried out brief attacks on Gaza overnight on 25 and 26 October, but this latest major assault marked the most worrying escalation yet. The Gaza Civil Defence Authority said the air strikes had completely destroyed hundreds of buildings overnight.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, confirmed that Israeli troops were present in the Gaza Strip and that "the fighting is continuing." The Israeli military has previously sent troops into Gaza several times to attack Hamas targets.

In response, Hamas said on October 28 that its forces in the Gaza Strip were responding with full force and would continue such attacks.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced on the night of October 27 that its gunmen clashed fiercely with the Israeli army in the city of Beit Hanoun, northeast of Gaza, and in the central Al-Bureij area.

Describing the events of the night, Al Jazeera's Mahmoud said: "It all started when an Israeli military spokesman distributed a map claiming that al-Shifa hospital was the headquarters of the Hamas leadership… Hamas then denied there were any rooms below the hospital. An hour later, Gaza lost all electricity."

"At around 7pm local time, a major attack by sea and land took place, focusing on the northern Gaza Strip, around the vicinity of al-Shifa hospital," the reporter said.

According to reporter Mahmoud, it is difficult to get an exact casualty figure at this stage, but "we have heard reports that hundreds of people have died in those areas and that emergency services have not been able to reach them in time to help them". Families in southern Gaza have also been unable to contact their relatives in the north.

Health authorities in Gaza say more than 7,700 people have died since Israel began airstrikes on the Gaza Strip (Photo: Al Jazeera).

So far, the Gaza Health Authority has reported that more than 7,700 people have been killed, including more than 3,000 children, since Israel began airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Israel has not released new casualty figures for several days.

Earlier, Israeli officials said at least 1,400 people in the country had been killed in Hamas attacks since October 7.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/israel-mo-rong-tan-cong-o-gaza-hamas-the-dap-tra-toan-luc-20231028193942000.htm