Israeli army: Fighting on the ground in “certain locations” in Israel near its border with the Gaza Strip

The Israeli army confirmed on Saturday that its forces were engaged in ground combat against Palestinian fighters in areas surrounding the Gaza Strip after they infiltrated "by parachute" both by sea and land, with casualties reported.

Army spokesperson Richard Hiket said during a press briefing, "It was a dual ground operation carried out through paratroopers by sea and land."

He added, "We are currently fighting; we are fighting in specific locations in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip... Our forces are now fighting on the ground" within Israel.

Hiket mentioned casualties but did not provide further details and did not comment on reports of Palestinian fighters capturing several Israelis.

Thousands of reserve soldiers are expected to be deployed on the borders with Gaza, as well as in northern Israel and along the borders with Lebanon, Syria, and the occupied West Bank.

The spokesperson added, "We are monitoring all the arenas... We understand that this is a significant development."

According to Hiket, at least 2,200 rockets had been fired from Gaza by 10:30 a.m. (07:30 UTC), while the Hamas movement claimed that the number of rockets exceeded five thousand.

Israel has imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on Gaza since 2007, coinciding with Hamas's takeover of the territory.

Israel and Palestinian armed factions have engaged in several wars that have resulted in thousands of casualties, primarily among Palestinians.


AFP