Israel pushes into Gaza

Israel’s military continues its push into Gaza. On Monday morning, an Israeli military spokesperson said more than 600 targets in Gaza had been hit in air strikes in the previous 24 hours. That is 150 more than the day before. According to AFP, it is one of Israel’s heaviest bombardments yet in the fight against Hamas, that on October 7 attacked Israel, killing over 1400 people.
     Israel’s air strikes on the Gaza Strip have been daily and extensive since the Hamas attacks. And Israel’s military is now also increasing its efforts on the ground. With the help of tanks, Israeli forces are moving further into the Gaza Strip itself, according to The Guardian. Over the weekend, Israel said it had entered the “second phase” of the war against Hamas.
      On Sunday, it was said that this means increased efforts on the ground. “We continue to expand our land-based operations in the Gaza Strip with additional infantry, armoured vehicles, artillery and military engineers,” said spokesperson for Israel’s army Daniel Hagari on Monday according to CNN. He says the military is in direct combat with Hamas. With the expectation of fierce urban fighting in Gaza, he urged Palestinian civilians to head south to “safer areas”. Hamas said on Monday it was engaged in “heavy fighting” against Israeli forces in northern Gaza. /ritzau/