Gaza Under Attack: As the Israeli military widened its air and ground attacks on the Palestinian enclave, Hamas on Saturday said its militants in Gaza were ready to confront Israel with "full force". The Palestinian-based militant group Hamas which controls Gaza announced earlier that its forces were engaged in combat with Israeli troops in locations close to the Israeli border. This followed after Israel intensified its attacks in Gaza.
"In addition to the attacks carried out in the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight," Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised news briefing on Friday evening, raising the question of whether a long-anticipated ground invasion of Gaza may be beginning, Reuters reported.
"The Al-Qassam brigades and all the Palestinian resistance forces are completely ready to confront (Israel's) aggression with full force and frustrate its incursions," Hamas said in a statement early on Saturday. "Netanyahu and his defeated army will not be able to achieve any military victory," referring to the Israeli prime minister.
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Israeli ground soldiers gathered outside Gaza, where Israel has been conducting an intense bombardment since a deadly October 7 attack by hundreds of Hamas gunmen on Israeli communities near the strip killing over 1,400 people, mostly civilians and more than 200 taken hostage.
UN Assembly Backs Call For Humanitarian Truce
On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly backed a resolution drafted by Arab states calling for an immediate humanitarian truce and demanded aid access to Gaza and protection of civilians.
Hamas group attacked Israel on October 7 killing thousands of civilians. (Image credit: Reuters)
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby stated that the United States does support a pause in Israeli military activities in Gaza to provide fuel, electricity, and humanitarian relief to residents there following Israel's announcement of a step-up in operations.
Blackout Hits Gaza
"Gaza is currently blacked out," said Paltel, the largest telecommunications provider in Gaza. The head of the UN Children's Fund UNICEF, Catherine Russell, said her agency too could no longer communicate with staff in Gaza.
"I'm extremely concerned about their safety and another night of unspeakable horror for 1M children in Gaza," she posted on X.
Israel Vows To Wipe Out Hamas
Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas and bring to justice those responsible for the surprise and shock attack that occurred on October 7. Israel has said it is preparing a ground invasion but has been urged by the US and Arab countries to delay an operation that would multiply the number of civilian casualties in the densely populated coastal strip and might ignite a wider conflict.
Palestine Urges World For Immediate Intervention
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Saturday urged the international community for immediate intervention to stop "rapid and dangerous developments" in Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.
(With Inputs From Agencies)