Israeli troops start ground offensive in Gaza
Friday, 18 July 2014
The Israeli military has begun a ground offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, extending its 10-day-old Operation Protective Edge. It said it was in response to continued rocket fire by the Islamists and to strike a ‘significant blow to Hamas’, which controls Gaza. Hamas said Israel would pay a high price for the ground offensive. There had been a five-hour humanitarian truce on Thursday, but exchanges of fire resumed when it ended. Some 230 Palestinians and one Israeli have died during the Operation Protective Edge period. At least five Palestinians were killed after the ground offensive began, Palestinian authorities said in Gaza city. They included a five-month-old in the town of Rafah, medical officials said. Israel withdrew ground troops from the Gaza strip in September 2005, and last mounted a major ground operation in 2009. In a statement, the Israeli military said: ‘Following 10 days of Hamas attacks by land, air and sea, and after repeated rejections of offers to de-escalate the situation, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has initiated a ground operation within the Gaza Strip,’ according to BBC.