Gaza hit by telecommunications outages, Israeli tanks advance

Israeli forces control the eastern suburbs of Gaza and have been heavily shelling two areas in recent days, from where they can advance further into the central and western parts of the city, where most residents are hiding.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that at least 85 Palestinians, mainly in Gaza City, have been killed by Israeli attacks or gunfire in the last 24 hours. The Israeli army confirmed the deaths of four soldiers.

According to army spokesman Nadav Shoshani, a combination of infantry, tanks, and artillery, supported by the air force, is advancing into the city. The goal is to put pressure on Hamas and force it to either agree to a deal or release the hostages.

There are still 48 hostages in Gaza who were abducted on October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities believe that around 20 of them are still alive. Hamas said on Thursday that they were scattered throughout the city and warned that if operations were expanded, none of them would be handed over “either alive or dead.”

Telephone lines and the internet have been cut off throughout the Gaza Strip, indicating that the ground offensive could soon intensify.

(reuters, est)