The Israel Defense Forces expanded its ground operations in the Gaza Strip on Friday night, an Israeli military officer announced ahead of an anticipated full-scale invasion of the Hamas-run territory.
“In the last few hours, we expanded the number of airstrikes in Gaza in a very significant way,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said of its latest air raids and artillery strikes on northern Gaza. “In addition to the offensive activity we have conducted in recent days, our ground forces are expanding their operations tonight. The IDF is operating in all dimensions in order to accomplish the goals of the war.”
The latest development in the Israel–Hamas war came as internet and phone services were cut in the bombarded region, leaving Palestinians in the dark as to what will happen next in the conflict. In response, Hamas militants fired rockets on Tel Aviv and other cities in central Israel.
The new ground operations are said to not be part of the full-scale invasion, according to IDF spokesman Peter Lerner. “We intend on dismantling their capabilities, destroying their government, and making sure they can never use the Gaza Strip as a staging ground against our people again,” Lerner told ABC News, noting he can’t provide specific details due to “operational concerns.”
Whenever a ground invasion does occur, it’s unclear how long it would last, as Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant told reporters on Friday that it “will take a long time.” In recent days, Israeli forces have been conducting limited ground raids in Gaza to prepare for a larger incursion.
The strategic decision to strengthen ground operations was reportedly made by Israel’s war cabinet Thursday night after no significant progress in negotiating the release of hostages held in Gaza had been made. Hamas terrorists are holding more than 220 hostages, many of whom are foreign nationals.
Israel’s military is continuing retaliatory strikes on northern Gaza to weaken Hamas’s military infrastructure. Hagari urged Palestinian civilians who remain in the area to migrate south of the Gaza river, “where it is much safer,” he said.
While making the announcement, the IDF spokesman also revealed that one of the Palestinian-Islamic terrorist group’s military bases is hidden underneath a large Gaza hospital in an extensive tunnel system. “Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa hospital — and other hospitals in Gaza — with a network of terror tunnels,” said Hagari. “Shifa is not the only hospital — it is one of many. Hamas-use of hospitals is systematic.”
The Al-Shifa Hospital is the largest hospital in Gaza with over 1,500 beds and 4,000 staff members, the IDF posted on X.
Hamas is a plague hiding in a hospital. pic.twitter.com/w1rgBN81TJ
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 27, 2023
Hagari added that “concrete evidence” shows “hundreds of terrorists flooded into the hospital to hide” after Hamas launched its multipronged attack on Israel nearly three weeks ago, killing over 1,300 civilians since the war began.
The tunnel network extends far beyond the hospital, however. According to Reuters, Hamas’s underground city is reportedly hundreds of kilometers long and up to 80 meters deep, what one freed hostage described as a “spiderweb.” The group largely operates beneath Gaza, using the system as an opportunity to travel undetected, smuggle weaponry, move hostages, and stage attacks on Israel.
The tunnels will prove to be a challenge for the Israeli military, as there are so many unknowns that come with the territory. U.S. defense secretary Lloyd Austin said there will be “a lot of IEDs [improvised explosive devices], a lot of booby traps, and just a really grinding activity” awaiting Israeli troops in the confined and interconnected spaces.