Israel Launches Ground Invasion Against Hamas in Gaza Strip
The violence in the Gaza Strip continued Thursday night when Israel launched a ground offensive against Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a military ground invasion just days after an Egypt-backed cease-fire proposal fell through.
According to a military statement issued at 10:39 p.m., the goal of the ground operation is to "establish a reality in which Israeli residents can live in safety and security without continuous indiscriminate terror," reports the New York Times.
Witnesses in Gaza reported heavy artillery and helicopter fire in addition to naval shelling along the Gaza border as ground troops moved in the north. Israel also moved armed naval boats by Gaza's port.
"The prime minister and defense minister have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Force) to begin a ground operation tonight in order to hit the terror tunnels from Gaza into Israel," the statement said, according to Reuters.
The Israeli military released a statement that said the operation will include "infantry, armored corps, engineer corps, artillery and intelligence combined with aerial and naval support."
The ground invasion began just a day after Israel launched an intense attack on the Gaza strip, targeting the homes of high-ranking Hamas leaders.
According to the Gaza interior ministry, Israel aimed fire at 30 houses, including the homes of senior Hamas leaders Jamila Shanti, Fathi Hamas and Ismail Ashkar. In addition, three members from the Abu Daqqa family were killed, while five victims were injuried during an attack in Khan Younis, said the health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra, according to Al Jazeera.
Among the causalities included a 10-year-old boy and a 65-year-old woman.
Also on Wednesday, Israel agreed to a temporary cessation of hostilities proposed by the United Nations to allow Palestinian civilians to travel safely outside of their homes for humanitarian reasons. However, Israel resumed attacks once the temporary cease fire lull ended.
During the ten-day violent conflict, Israeli military officials say Gaza militants have fired over 1,300 rockets into Israel, while Palestinian health officials report a death toll of 233 Palestinians. There has been only one report of a Israeli civilian casualty.
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