JERUSALEM: Hamas pledged to confront Israeli attacks with "full force" after Israel's military widened its air and ground attacks on the Palestinian enclave, suggesting on Saturday that a long promised ground offensive had begun.
Israel said on Saturday morning its troops, sent in on Friday night, were still in the field, without elaborating. The country had earlier made only brief sorties into Gaza during three weeks of bombardment to root out Hamas, who it said had killed 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7.
"The forces are still in the field and continuing the war," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a news briefing on Saturday morning.
Gaza was under an almost complete blackout, with internet and phone services cut for more than 12 hours by Saturday morning. Telecoms firms and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it was the result of Israeli bombardments.
Hagari said Israel would allow trucks carrying food, water and medicine to enter Gaza on Saturday, indicating that bombing might pause, at least in the area of its border with Egypt where small amounts of aid have been arriving.
The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the blackout was "making it impossible" for ambulances to reach the injured in Gaza.
"Evacuation of patients is not possible under such circumstances, nor to find safe shelter," he said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said also the WHO was not able to contact its staff and health facilities.
The Palestinian group that rules Gaza said its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops in areas near the border with Israel.
Hagari had said on Friday evening its ground forces were widening their operations along with extensive air strikes on tunnels dug by Hamas and other infrastructure.
"In addition to the attacks carried out in the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight," he said.
"Overnight, IDF fighter jets struck 150 underground targets in the northern Gaza Strip, including terror tunnels, underground combat spaces and additional underground infrastructure. Furthermore, several Hamas terrorists were killed," the military said.
The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam brigades, said early on Saturday its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops in Gaza's northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and in the central area of Al-Bureij.
"Al-Qassam Brigades and all Palestinian resistance forces are fully prepared to confront the aggression with full force and thwart the incursions," it said.
Reuters
Sat Oct 28 2023
Smoke is rising after an Israeli strike on Gaza seen from a viewpoint in Southern Israel October 24, 2023. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura/File Photo
LHDN pergiat ‘buru’ syarikat, individu culas bayar cukai
Ujar beliau, LHDN sentiasa memantau data-data sedia ada untuk tindakan sewajarnya.
Program Jelajah Siswa antara pengisian Hawana 2024
Sambutan Hari Wartawan Nasional (Hawana) 2024 pada Mei ini buat julung kalinya akan menyaksikan penglibatan pelajar jurusan komunikasi menerusi Program Jelajah Siswa.
[KEMAS KINI] SPRM ambil keterangan, MB Perlis tegaskan tidak direman
Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) mengesahkan mengambil keterangan Maenteri Besar Perlis kira-kira jam 10 pagi tadi.
Bekas isteri Safee Sali fail tuntutan balas nusyuz
Sebutan semula kes bagi menjawab tuntutan itu oleh plantif ditetapkan pada 11 Jun depan.
Polis selamat mangsa pemerdagangan orang dipaksa bekerja di kelab malam
Polis berjaya menyelamatkan empat wanita warga Filipina yang dipercayai menjadi mangsa pemerdagangan orang.
Pengasas maahad tahfiz didakwa di mahkamah kes liwat pelajar
Tertuduh didakwa meliwat tiga pelajar berusia antara 12 hingga 15 tahun manakala dua daripada mereka merupakan mangsa yang sama.
Pelajar UCLA dakwa universiti lepas tangan
Sebagai pelajar di antara puluhan kampus yang membantah serangan di Gaza, Isabelle Friedman yang memimpin akhbar bebas pelajar UCLA berbicara mengenai cabaran kehidupan harian pelajar dan memberikan liputan berita yang seimbang ketika protes terus meningkat.
Beg sandang dicuri dalam tandas, wanita sarat mengandung trauma kejar peragut
Suspek lelaki berusia 22 tahun yang mempunyai empat rekod lampau berkaitan jenayah dan dadah itu direman selama tiga hari bermula 30 April hingga 2 Mei 2024.
25 maut, 13 cedera bas terjunam dalam sungai Peru
Kemalangan bas di kawasan gunung Andes di utara Peru telah meragut 25 nyawa manakala 13 cedera pada Isnin.
Nahas Helikopter: Wira negara, damailah anda di sana
Satu negara bersimpati, bersedih dengan perginya pejuang yang telah banyak berjasa buat Malaysia. Bingkisan ini, istimewa buat semua wira yang kini berada di negara abadi.
Israel bimbang ICC keluar waran tangkap berkait perang Gaza
Menteri Luar Israel memberi amaran kepada kedutaan Israel untuk meningkatkan keselamatan kerana risiko "gelombang antisemitisme yang teruk".
Delegasi Hamas ke Kaherah bincang gencatan senjata
Hamas dijangka bertindak balas terhadap cadangan genjatan senjata berperingkat terbaharu Israel yang disampaikan pada Sabtu lalu.
Hamas sudah terima maklum balas Israel mengenai cadangan gencatan senjata
Gesaan dari seluruh dunia untuk satu gencatan senjata semakin meningkat dengan serangan ke atas Gaza kini memasuki bulan ketujuh.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Iran sekadar beri mesej, Israel perlu hentikan serangan - Penganalisis
Tindakan Iran melancarkan peluru berpandu kelas dua adalah mesej kepada Israel untuk menghentikan segala serangan dan tindakan rakus yang menyebabkan krisis kemanusiaan di rantau Asia Barat.
Protes di Rom gesa henti perang di Gaza
Tunjuk perasaan itu berlaku pada ketika Iran mula melancarkan serangan ke atas kepentingan Israel.
Hamas tolak cadangan gencatan senjata Israel
Selepas lebih enam bulan berperang dengan Israel di Gaza, rundingan masih menemui jalan buntu.
PM hubungi Ismail Haniyeh ucap takziah, nyatakan solidariti Malaysia
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menghubungi pemimpin paling kanan Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh pada petang Khamis bagi mengucap takziah atas kehilangan tiga anak dan empat cucunya dalam serangan udara Israel.
Mapim kutuk pembunuhan anak, cucu pemimpin Hamas
Mapim mengutuk sekeras-kerasnya serangan tentera Israel di Semenanjung Gaza pada hari pertama Aidilfitri.