The Israeli army says its ground forces are “expanding their activity” in the Gaza Strip, as it moves closer to a full-on ground invasion of the besieged territory.
Israel knocked out internet and communications in the Gaza Strip in stepped-up bombardment Friday night, largely cutting off its 2.3 million people from contact with each other and the outside world and creating a near-blackout of information, as the military said it was "expanding" ground operations in the territory.
Relatives outside Gaza panicked after their messaging chats with families inside suddenly went dead and calls stopped going through. The Hamas media center reported heavy nighttime clashes with Israeli forces at several places, including what it said was an Israeli incursion east of Bureij. Asked about the report, the Israeli military reiterated early Saturday that it had been carrying out targeted raids and expanding strikes with the aim of "preparing the ground for future stages of the operation."
The conflict has threatened to ignite a wider war across the region. Arab nations — including U.S. allies and ones that have reached peace deals or normalized ties with Israel — have raised increasing alarm over a potential ground invasion, likely to bring even higher casualties amid urban fighting.Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned on X that the "outcome will be a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions for years to come.
The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed alarm, saying the world "is losing a window into the reality" of the conflict. It warned that the information vacuum "can be filled with deadly propaganda, dis- and misinformation."
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