28th October 2023 – (Gaza) In a significant escalation of hostilities, Israel’s military has intensified its air and ground assaults on the Palestinian enclave, prompting Hamas to declare its commitment to confront Israeli attacks with “full force.” On Saturday, Hamas suggested that a long-anticipated ground offensive had commenced, as Israel’s troops, deployed on Friday night, remained in the field without providing further details. While Israel had previously conducted brief sorties into Gaza over a three-week period, mainly to eliminate Hamas militants who allegedly killed 1,400 Israelis, the recent military actions indicated an intensification of the conflict.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, during a news briefing on Saturday morning, affirmed that the Israeli forces were still actively engaged in the conflict, stating, “The forces are still in the field and continuing the war.” Additionally, the Israeli military issued a renewed call for Palestinians residing in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate in anticipation of an impending Israeli operation. Hagari, using the social media platform X, issued an urgent military advisory, urging residents of northern Gaza and Gaza City to temporarily relocate south for their immediate safety. He emphasized that the upcoming operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) aimed to neutralise the threat posed by Hamas with precision and intensity.
Israel responded to the 7th October attacks by Hamas with one of its most intense nights of strikes, resulting in the complete destruction of hundreds of buildings and houses, while thousands of other homes sustained damage, as reported by Gaza Civil Defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal. By Saturday morning, Gaza was gripped by near-complete blackout, with internet and phone services cut off for over 12 hours. Telecommunications companies and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society attributed the blackout to the Israeli bombardments.
In a gesture to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation, Hagari announced that Israel would permit trucks carrying food, water, and medicine to enter Gaza on Saturday, suggesting a potential pause in bombing activities, at least in the border area shared with Egypt where limited aid had been arriving.
Aid agencies have warned of an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where 2.3 million people remain under a total Israeli blockade. Health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza reported that 7,326 Palestinians had been killed since the commencement of Israel’s bombardment. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), lamented that the blackout was impeding ambulance access to the injured in Gaza. He stated on X (formerly known as Twitter) that evacuation and finding safe shelter were impossible under such circumstances, adding that the WHO had been unable to contact its staff and health facilities.
Relatives of individuals held captive in Israel as a result of the 7th October Hamas assault demanded an urgent meeting with the Israeli government following what they described as “the most terrible of all nights.” The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum headquarters criticised the government’s failure to meet with the families and address concerns regarding the safety of the 229 hostages in Gaza. The Israeli government assured that it was undertaking all possible efforts to rescue the hostages.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group governing Gaza, announced that its fighters were engaged in clashes with Israeli troops in areas near the border with Israel. Rear Admiral Hagari had previously stated that ground forces were expanding their operations, simultaneously conducting extensive air strikes on Hamas tunnels and other infrastructure. The military reported that overnight, IDF fighter jets targeted 150 underground sites in the northern Gaza Strip, including terror tunnels, underground combat spaces, and additional underground infrastructure, resulting in the elimination of several Hamas terrorists.
The al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, confirmed clashes between its fighters and Israeli troops in Gaza’s northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and the central area of Al-Bureij. The brigades vowed that they, along with all Palestinian resistance forces, were fully prepared to confront the aggression with full force and thwart any incursions.
While the United States and other Western nations have expressed strong support for Israel, they have urged caution regarding a ground offensive, fearing that high casualties among Palestinians could escalate the conflict further. Hamas receives support from Iran, which also backs militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. In the latest development along the border, the Israeli military intercepted a missile launched from Lebanon at one of its drones and subsequently targeted the launch site, marking the most serious clashes on the border since 2006. Egypt, Israel’s neighbouring country, reported the downing of drones on its territory and cautioned against any expansion of the conflict.
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