The Israeli military confirmed on Saturday morning that it had entered northern Gaza overnight and was currently conducting operations in the area, without providing further details.
Israel had previously undertaken limited incursions into Gaza over a span of three weeks as part of its efforts to target Hamas militants, whom they accuse of causing the death of 1,400 Israelis on October 7.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, during a news briefing on Saturday morning, stated, “The forces are still in the field and continuing the war.”
By Saturday morning, Gaza had experienced a near-total blackout, with both internet and phone services disrupted for more than 12 hours. Telecom companies and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society attributed this blackout to Israeli bombardments.
Hagari also mentioned that Israel would permit the entry of trucks carrying essential supplies, including food, water, and medicine, into Gaza on Saturday. This suggested a potential pause in bombing, at least in the region bordering Egypt, where limited aid shipments had been arriving.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed concern that the blackout was hindering ambulance services from reaching the injured in Gaza.
The Palestinian militant organization governing Gaza reported that its fighters were engaged in clashes with Israeli troops near the Israeli border.
The Israeli military stated, “Overnight, IDF fighter jets targeted 150 underground locations in the northern Gaza Strip, including terror tunnels, subterranean combat facilities, and other underground infrastructure. Furthermore, several Hamas militants were reported killed.”
Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, announced early on Saturday that its fighters were in confrontations with Israeli forces in Gaza’s northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and in the central area of Al-Bureij.
The group stated, “Al-Qassam Brigades and all Palestinian resistance forces are fully prepared to confront the aggression with full force and thwart the incursions.”
