Israel army confirms ground troops ‘attacking Gaza Strip’ as Palestine conflict escalates

Jonathan Conricus, spokesman for the IDF, confirmed that Israeli soldiers had entered the Palestinian enclave, without giving any numbers. The Israel Defence Forces also confirmed to media outlets and on Twitter troops have mounted an attack on the Palestine-controlled region. They said: “IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip.”

IDF spokespeople confirmed they had attacked Gaza just after midnight local time (10pm BST).

It marks the first ground assault by the IDF in Gaza since 2014

It is unclear whether this is a full-scale invasion, but reports previously held the IDF were massing troops along the Gaza border.

Up to 9,000 IDF reservists were also called up to fight in Gaza.

However, Israeli military affairs correspondents who are briefed regularly by the armed forces have insisted it was not a ground invasion and that troops were firing artillery from Israel’s side of the border, according to Reuters.

Local media outlets are reporting that residents within four kilometres of the border have been ordered into bomb shelters.

Residents of northern Gaza, near the Israeli frontier, said they had seen no sign of ground troops inside the enclave but reported heavy artillery fire and dozens of air strikes.

In Gaza, the Associated Press reports: “Masses of red flames illuminated the skies as the deafening blasts from the outskirts of Gaza City jolted people awake.

“The strikes were so strong that people inside the city, several kilometres away, could be heard screaming in fear.”

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, also added in a pre-recorded statement that Hamas will pay a “heavy price” for recent violence.

He said: “I said that we would charge a very heavy price from Hamas.

“We do it and we will continue to do it with great intensity.”

The Prime Minister added the campaign “will take more time”, after ministers grimly warned they would attack Gaza until there is “total quiet” from Hamas.

The ground assault on Gaza comes after a weeks of missile strikes and rocket fire between Israel and Palestine.

Yesterday also saw at least three rockets fired from southern Lebanon toward Israel.

This week has seen 109 Palestinians, including 28 children, killed and more than 580 wounded.

At least six Israelis and one Indian national have also been killed.

Israel and Palestine saw violence break out over the last month due to outrage over planned evictions in Sheikh Jarrah.

Mr Netanyahu’s Government planned to evict dozens of Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood so Israeli settlers could move in, sparking protests.

In response to the protests, Israeli police threw stun grenades and used rubber bullets on demonstrators and raided the Al-Aqsa mosque during Ramadan.

Hamas warned Israel to cease the crackdown, before firing missiles into Jerusalem.

source: express.co.uk