In a night of heightened military engagement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have revealed that they executed a comprehensive aerial bombardment, targeting a significant 150 underground Hamas installations in Gaza. This operation marked the most intense and extensive assault witnessed during the ongoing conflict, while Palestinian residents in the region reported clashes with Israeli armored units and infantry during the dark hours.
The IDF disclosed that nearly 100 Israeli fighter jets were deployed in the offensive, which commenced after nightfall on Friday, inflicting significant damage to Hamas’ underground infrastructure. Video footage released by the IDF on Saturday morning displayed columns of tanks advancing across a flat, open expanse in Gaza, unleashing firepower on distant urban areas.
What distinguishes this operation from prior larger-scale sorties is the presence of Israeli armored units and infantry within Gaza, demonstrating a sustained military presence. Speaking on the matter, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated, “The forces are still on the ground and are continuing the war,” refraining from providing further details.
This intensified fighting has raised concerns among families of the 229 individuals held captive by Hamas in Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has urgently requested a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and members of the war cabinet. Their statement expressed profound distress over the situation, emphasizing the need for a clarification regarding the safety of these captives in the context of the ongoing ground operations.
As internet and mobile services in Gaza were largely disconnected from Friday evening, information regarding the situation within the Hamas-governed territory became exceedingly scarce. Footage from media cameras stationed just outside Gaza in Israel and Egypt revealed a night sky illuminated by continuous airstrikes and artillery fire, casting an orange hue.
By Saturday morning, Gaza found itself shrouded in dense fog, with intermittent detonations audible within the region. Reports emerging from Gaza indicated a chaotic situation, with paramedic teams encountering severe difficulties coordinating rescue efforts due to a breakdown in communication.
A journalist working for the BBC in Gaza described the events as “total chaos” throughout the night of relentless strikes. He detailed the extensive bombardment in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, unprecedented in scale, prompting panic and communication disruptions among the populace.
Moreover, reports indicated that Hamas fighters were engaged in clashes with Israeli forces in Gaza’s northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and the central region of Bureij. Hamas issued a statement emphasizing that Israeli efforts would not result in a military victory, emphasizing their resilience.
On a diplomatic front, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of an immediate and sustainable humanitarian truce in Gaza on Friday, with 120 nations supporting the non-binding resolution, while 45 abstained and 14, including Israel and the United States, voted against it.
Prior to this, the UN had sounded alarms regarding the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. The absence of basic services, sewage overflow in the streets, and the depletion of food, water, and medicine had left the population susceptible to disease outbreaks.
As the Gaza conflict unfolds, the heaviest confrontations appear to be concentrated in Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun in the north and east of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. The intensity of these clashes in these areas remains unconfirmed, though they have historically served as access routes for Israeli military operations.
Notably, this escalated phase of conflict has targeted the extensive Hamas tunnel system, referred to colloquially by Israeli military planners as the “metro.” Former hostage Yocheved Lifshitz had previously revealed her captors’ use of these tunnels during her captivity.
Explosions from uninterrupted airstrikes bathed the Gaza City skyline in an eerie glow after nightfall on Friday. The Palestinian telecommunications provider, Paltel, reported a “complete disruption” of internet, cellular, and landline services, rendering casualty updates and ground incursion details inaccessible. Nevertheless, a few satellite phones remained functional.
With electricity in short supply for several weeks, Gazans were left in darkness and isolation, seeking refuge in homes and shelters while grappling with diminishing supplies of food and water. Attempts to establish contact with Gaza residents through phone calls yielded limited success on Saturday.
The Israeli military, represented by Rear Admiral Hagari, reported the expansion of ground operations in Gaza on Friday evening, asserting a resolute intent to achieve the war’s objectives. They contend that the strikes aim at Hamas fighters and infrastructure, emphasizing the militants’ proximity to civilians as a source of danger.
This recent military campaign, coupled with the buildup of hundreds of thousands of troops along the border, signifies an impending ground incursion into Gaza. The operation is anticipated to be both protracted and demanding, particularly in dismantling Hamas’s extensive network of tunnels.
Defense Minister Gallant acknowledged that the operation would be time-consuming and multi-faceted, with lower-intensity fighting expected to follow the initial assault, targeting Hamas resistance pockets. These statements allude to a potentially protracted and uncertain phase in the ongoing conflict.
The ultimate objectives of this operation and the benchmarks for measuring Hamas’s defeat remain ambiguous. While Israel does not intend to assert sovereignty over the