[Ali Jadallah/Anadolu]
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said on October 28 morning that its infantry, combat engineering forces and tanks were still operating in the Gaza Strip as a large ground operation that began a day early continues.
During the Israeli overnight ground operation in Gaza, there were a number of clashes with the Hamas Movement and other Palestinian armed factions. However, the IDF didn’t report any casualties.
The IDF said in a statement that the Air Force struck some 150 underground sites belonging to Hamas during the operation. It added that a number of Hamas fighters were killed in the strikes.
In addition, Asem Abu Rakaba, head of the Hamas aerial array, was killed in a strike, according to the IDF. The commander was responsible for the movement’s drones, paragliders, aerial detection and aerial defense, the IDF said, adding that he also took part in planning the surprise attack on Israel earlier this month.
In its only statement on the Israeli ground operation, Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said its fighters were repelling attacks close to the city of Beit Hanoun and to the east of the Bureij refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Palestinian reports from the Strip remain scarce because heavy Israeli bombardment led to the collapse of internet and phone services.
A pair of US officials tell CBS News that Israel’s “expanded” military activity in Gaza appears to be the start of a ground offensive, but stress the scope of the operations is not yet clear.
The ongoing Israeli ground operation is the largest in Gaza since the war broke out. In the days leading to the operation, the IDF intensified bombardement on the Strip and carried out at least two limited ground incursions as well as a naval raid.
The goal of the operation may be to test and assess Hamas defenses ahead of an even larger ground offensive, or to pressure the movement into releasing more Israeli hostages.
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goliath storms beyond the wall in tanks and comes out in body bags. the world is on the side of david and waits to see the evil anglozionazi empire of filth crushed beyond repair. god bless the long suffering semitic people of palestine and death to the khazar terrorist occupation of that cursed land. z
maybe we should destroy the khazar occupation of “our” governments in the west ?
that includes trump.
cannot believe idf didnt get hit by kornets.
the zionists want to make an example of gaza . the usa may be judged by what they do never by what they say as they are the great zionist leaders who want to control the world.