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ISRAEL blasted Gaza last night in a shock and awe bombardment ahead of a full invasion.
The heaviest bombing in three weeks of war saw the terrorists’ lair battered from land, sea and air.
The dark skies above Gaza City were lit up as fires raged.
Reports coming out of the enclave said Israeli tanks had entered the Strip and soldiers were engaging Hamas militants near the Burej refugee camp in central Gaza.
Ground troops had reportedly invaded at least three locations, southeast of Gaza city, and in two locations on the northern border, close to the Israeli city of Sderot.
Outbreaks of fighting continued near Burej through the night.
Tracer bullets could be seen as IDF forces engaged the terrorist with volleys of machine gun fire.
Local media said that Palestinians were reporting: “Israeli tanks invaded the strip.”
Israel’s arsenal includes Merkava tanks with a 120mm cannon and remote-controlled roof mounted machine guns.
Meanwhile, airstrikes targeted the Jabalia refugee camp in the north-eastern part of the Strip.
Hamas’s armed wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, said they had fired two barrages of long range rockets to Tel Aviv in response to Israel’s incursion.
In a TV address, Israel’s chief military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said: “In addition to the attacks carried out in the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight.
“In recent hours we have increased the attacks in Gaza.
“The Air Force is widely attacking underground targets and terrorist infrastructures. Following the offensive activity we have carried out in recent days the ground forces are expanding their activity.”
He said the military was “operating forcefully” on all fronts, but stopped short of describing the escalation as a ground invasion.
Hamas sent a defiant message to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
Official Ezzat al-Rishaq wrote on Telegram: “If Netanyahu decides to enter Gaza tonight, the resistance is ready. The remains of his soldiers will be swallowed up by Gaza.”
The first signs of the operation came yesterday with reports phone and internet networks were down.
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Palestinian telecom firm Jawwal said Gaza had been cut off, with a “complete interruption of telecommunications services”.
Huge blasts then rocked Gaza City and other settlements.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said the Israeli strikes “hinder the arrival of ambulance vehicles to the wounded”.
But Mr Hagari claimed hospitals in Gaza had been used by Hamas as military bases.
He said: “We have concrete evidence that hundreds of terrorists flooded into the hospital to hide there.”
Commanders even directed the massacre of Israeli innocents from a centre under one hospital.
The group has dug a series of tunnels under the 1,500-bed Al- Shifa Hospital, Gaza City’s biggest medical complex.
And after the attack on October 7, gunmen fled back to their subterranean bases.
Thousands of terrorists swarmed through a 20ft security fence at dawn three weeks ago today.
They targeted kibbutz communities, torturing, raping and slaughtering men, women and children.
Babies were reportedly beheaded and more than 200 hostages were smuggled back to Gaza.
Only four have been released as negotiators urged Israel to delay any invasion.
America also reportedly requested a delay to give it time to ship anti-missile systems to the region after a series of attacks on US bases.
Last night’s bombardment came after American F-16 fighter jets blitzed Iranian targets in Syria.
They targeted terror-linked ammo facilities used by the Tehran-backed militias, including Hezbollah.
The Lebanese–based group’s attacks have raised fears of a global conflict
US president Joe Biden has warned Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei not to target US personnel in the Middle East.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: “There was a direct message relayed.”
Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said the strikes were “separate and distinct” from Gaza.
