Israel expands ground operations in Gaza amid intense clashes and breakdown of internet and phone communications

New Delhi: After more than three weeks of airstrikes by Israeli troops and continuing conflict between Israel and Gaza, escalation of the ongoing ground operations in Gaza has increased with tanks entering further into northern Gaza and heavy bombardment reported.

Israel has announced that its ground forces are "expanding ground operations" in Gaza, targeting undisclosed objectives with heavy strikes. Massive explosions have rocked the Gaza territory, as Israeli warplanes carried out a barrage of heavy strikes in the wee hours of Saturday.

Media reports from the region indicate that clashes have erupted in northern Gaza, with some Israeli troops and tanks entering the area. Earlier, a spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces again urged Gaza City residents to move south to ensure their safety.

The Israeli military has significantly intensified its operations in Gaza, raising questions about whether this marks the long-anticipated full-scale ground invasion.

Throughout the night, Israel has been intermittently bombarding targets in Gaza City, while live video feeds capture the explosions. Simultaneously, reports have emerged of confrontations within the Strip between Israeli forces and Hamas militant groups, which Israel has sworn to eliminate since the October 7th Hamas attack on its territory.

Amid these developments, medical aid organizations attempting to assist civilians in Gaza report a complete breakdown of internet and phone communications since Friday. The lack of communication channels has created significant challenges in assessing the current situation on the ground.

Communication blackout in Gaza raises concerns

A near-total blackout of communication networks in Gaza has prompted fears of a potential blackout of news and an increase in atrocities against Palestinians. The majority of the residents in Gaza find themselves cut off from the outside world.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) emphasized the urgent need to restore communication lines in Gaza, emphasizing that the world is "losing a window into the reality" of the ongoing conflict. The lack of information emerging from the Strip, the CPJ warns, creates a void that can be filled with dangerous propaganda, disinformation, and misinformation.

Adding to the gravity of the situation, the CPJ reported that at least 29 journalists have lost their lives while covering the violence that erupted following the October 7th attack.

In response to the dire humanitarian situation, the UN General Assembly has called for an immediate humanitarian truce. A resolution proposed by Jordan garnered the support of 120 member states, signalling the international community's growing concern over the crisis in Gaza.

Israel's sustained bombings since the October 7th Hamas attacks, which claimed the lives of 1,400 people and resulted in the kidnapping of 229 individuals as hostages, have prompted calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities. The health ministry in Gaza says 7,000 people have been killed since Israel's retaliatory bombing began.

Furthermore, in a broader regional context, various regional players, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen, are becoming increasingly involved in the crisis.

There is growing concern about the potential for a wider regional conflict. Tensions have been escalating, with Israel and Hezbollah engaged in daily clashes, both Israel and the US conducting recent strikes in Syria, and projectiles, believed to have been fired from Yemen, hitting two Egyptian Red Sea towns on Friday, posing a significant threat to the region. The situation is evolving rapidly, and the Middle East is on high alert as warning signs of a widening regional conflict continue to intensify.