Israel’s military significantly expanded its offensive on the Gaza Strip on Friday evening, increasing ground operations in the Palestinian enclave and launching an intense air bombardment that knocked out its telecommunications systems.
The escalation comes 48 hours after Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, told a national audience that his government was preparing a “ground invasion” of Gaza. But it remained unclear late on Friday whether the intensification of military operations was the prelude to a wider war.
Still, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for Israel’s military, said the Israel Defense Forces had been carrying out limited incursions into Gaza over the previous two nights and were now “expanding” operations on the ground.