Israel Releases Photos of Armored Units Entering Gaza Strip... Ground Operation Intensifies

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released photos of armored units entering the Gaza Strip 48 hours after the order to commence ground operations was given. This is interpreted as a declaration that Israel's ground military operations have fully begun and serves as a warning to Palestinian militant group Hamas and other anti-Israel armed factions. It is expected that the Israeli military will launch a siege offensive in the northern Gaza Strip area in the near future.

On the 29th (local time), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released images showing Israeli armored corps tanks and combat vehicles entering the northern coastal area of the Gaza Strip. [Image source: Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official website]

According to the Times of Israel on the 29th (local time), the Israeli Ministry of Defense released photos showing its tanks and armored vehicles advancing along the northern coastal area of the Gaza Strip. This came 48 hours after the de facto announcement of the start of ground combat. Unlike previous small-scale surprise operations conducted at night without photo releases, this time large-scale ground infiltration photos were published.

Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared at a press conference the previous day, "The ground military operation that began in the Gaza Strip marks the second phase of the war," adding, "It will be a long and difficult war." The Israeli military is understood to have moved armored units to the outskirts of major urban areas in northern Gaza to begin encirclement of the region.

Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s chief spokesperson, explained at a press briefing that "troop numbers entering Gaza increased overnight," and "our forces are gradually expanding ground activities and operational scope in Gaza." The Israeli military is reportedly avoiding large-scale ground deployments and rapid blitzkrieg tactics, instead preparing for a prolonged conflict through gradual advances.

Meanwhile, as the Israeli military intensifies ground combat, civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip are steadily increasing. The Gaza Strip Ministry of Health, controlled by Hamas, announced that the death toll from this war has risen to 8,005 as of today, including 3,324 children.