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Israel continues to bomb Gaza ahead of a land invasion. Photo/Reuters
GAZA – Israeli air and ground forces are stepping up operations in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli military spokesman confirmed amid reports of heavy bombing in the besieged enclave.
Moreover, the communications system in Gaza is completely dead. “Internet and mobile phone services were cut in the Palestinian territories,” a local telecommunications company and the Red Cross said.
“In the last few hours, we have intensified attacks on Gaza,” said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. That raised hopes that the long-awaited land invasion of Gaza might begin.
He said the air force carried out massive attacks on tunnels and other infrastructure.
“In addition to the attacks carried out in recent days, ground forces expanded their operations this evening,” he said.
Israeli troops have massed outside Gaza, where Israel has carried out an intense aerial bombardment campaign since the deadly attack on Israel on October 7 by the Islamist movement Hamas.
Earlier on Friday, Palestinian mobile phone service provider Jawwal said that services including telephone and internet had been cut due to the massive bombing.
A statement from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it had completely lost contact with its operations room in Gaza and all teams operating on the ground.
Israel says it is preparing a land invasion, but has been urged by the US and Arab countries to postpone an operation that would double the number of civilian casualties in the densely populated coastal strip and possibly trigger a wider conflict.
(ahm)