Israeli ground forces have entered Gaza from the north in an overnight operation, said army spokesman Daniel Hagari on Saturday. In a video shared by Israel Defense Forces (IDF), tanks and armoured vehicles can be seen proceeding through a sandy border zone.
"Israeli forces went into the Gaza Strip and expanded the ground operation where infantry, armor and engineer units and artillery with heavy fire are taking part," Hagari said during a press briefing in Tel Aviv, reported the CNN.
"The forces are in the field and continue the fighting," he further said.
Earlier, the Israeli military had describe its operation as two "targeted raids," which took place on Wednesday night and Thursday night. During both the raids, the ground forces withdrew after a few hours. However, the Israeli military operation seems to have undergone a significant expansion now.
Hagari confirmed that the army has not suffered any casualties in the overnight raid on Gaza. "We keep doing everything in order to keep our forces safe," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by CNN.
Speaking further, Hagari shunned rumours of a hostage deal with Hamas, and called it an attempt by the group to promote "psychological terror."
"Returning the hostages home is of highest national effort. And all our operational activities are directed towards the realization of this goal," CNN quoted Hagari as saying.
Intense Bombardment In Gaza
Meanwhile, World Health Organisation Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that there are reports of intense bombardment in Gaza due to which Evacuation of patients is not possible, and "blackout is making it impossible for ambulances to reach the injured."