Israel reports ‘large’ battles with Hamas in Gaza ground fighting
Israel has said there were “large exchanges” with Hamas in Gaza overnight as its ground offensive on the Strip continues.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) says its forces were attacked by “terrorists” with anti-tank missiles and machine gun fire.
There were air strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight as well as the ground offensive. Israel says more than 300 targets were hit in total.
Meanwhile, Hamas says it ambushed three Israeli vehicles with anti-tank missiles and attacked ground troops with shells in southern Gaza.
On Monday, Israel’s prime minister rejected calls for a ceasefire, saying it was time for war.
Israel has been bombing Gaza since the 7 October Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 people – and saw at least 239 people kidnapped and held as hostages. So far four hostages have been released and one has been rescued through Israel’s ground offensive.
More than 8,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s retaliatory bombing began.
