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Israeli forces are expanding ground operations in the Gaza Strip, the army’s spokesman said on Oct. 27, as the area suffered a near-total internet blackout. (Video: Israeli Army)

Israel says it is expanding ground operations in Gaza amid internet outage, heavy bombardment

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Israel is expanding its ground operations in the Gaza Strip after hours of intense airstrikes, Daniel Hagari, Israel Defense Forces spokesman, told reporters Friday. The United Nations has warned that Gaza’s 2 million residents face a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel’s announcement came amid a “total or near total” internet blackout, the largest single disruption since hostilities began Oct. 7, according to internet monitoring groups. Washington Post and Al Jazeera reporters said they had lost contact with colleagues inside the besieged enclave.

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A war surgery team and a weapons contamination specialist arrived in the Gaza Strip on Friday, along with six trucks carrying urgently needed aid, the International Committee of the Red Cross said — the first time in this war that an international medical team enters the besieged Palestinian territory. The ICRC said this was “a small dose of relief.”
In Egypt, the army said an unidentified drone fell by a hospital in the coastal town of Taba, near the border with Israel, injuring six people. Israel said the incident appeared to be caused by an “aerial threat” it had detected in the Red Sea area.
Israeli attacks have killed at least 7,028 people in Gaza and wounded more than 18,400, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Israeli authorities said more than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel and more than 5,400 injured since Hamas’s attack Oct. 7. At least 32 U.S. nationals are among those killed.
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A war surgery team and a weapons contamination specialist arrived in the Gaza Strip on Friday, along with six trucks carrying urgently needed aid, the International Committee of the Red Cross said — the first time in this war that an international medical team enters the besieged Palestinian territory. The ICRC said this was “a small dose of relief.”
In Egypt, the army said an unidentified drone fell by a hospital in the coastal town of Taba, near the border with Israel, injuring six people. Israel said the incident appeared to be caused by an “aerial threat” it had detected in the Red Sea area.
Israeli attacks have killed at least 7,028 people in Gaza and wounded more than 18,400, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Israeli authorities said more than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel and more than 5,400 injured since Hamas’s attack Oct. 7. At least 32 U.S. nationals are among those killed.
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Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region.

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival. (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948.

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip.