Israel Launches Air, Ground and Sea Operations Against Hamas in Gaza

The Jerusalem Post reports that “IDF ground forces began to move into the Gaza Strip on Thursday evening at around 10:30, according to Palestinian news sources and Al-Jazeera.”

The Israeli Defense Forces haven’t confirmed the operation, but haven’t denied it either.

The IDF launched a massive wave of combined air and artillery strikes on Thursday night, in a possible signal that Israel may be on the verge of a ground offensive against Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the
Gaza Strip.

Palestinian sources said strikes occurred up and down the Strip, adding that one strike targeted a motorcycle apparently carrying members of a rocket launching cell on their way to an attack on
Israel.

At around 10:00 p.m. rocket sirens sounded in the Tel Aviv area, and in the Shfela. Iron Dome made a number of interceptions in the Tel Aviv area.

Hamas bombarded Israel on Thursday with rockets after the end of the humanitarian truce, firing over 100 projectiles after 3 p.m. Eighty one rockets landed in open areas, two fell inside villages, damaging two homes, and 20 were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system.

Update — confirmed.

BREAKING: PM Netanyahu: Israel started ground operation in Gaza to hit terror tunnels from Gaza to Israel

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) July 17, 2014

BREAKING NEWS: A large IDF force has just launched a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. A new phase of Operation Protective Edge has begun.

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 17, 2014