Israel Launches Full Ground War in Northern Gaza - BBC News

Oct 28, 2023 | Israel has begun a full ground offensive in northern Gaza, three weeks after Hamas gunmen attacked Israel, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostages.

The new phase of Israel’s assault began at night with a huge wave of airstrikes as ground forces entered the north of Gaza. Tanks and infantry moved in and Israel says its commandos are operating on the ground across the north of the territory.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his nation: “The war inside the Gaza Strip will be difficult and long and we are prepared for it. This is our second war of independence. We will fight for the defence of the homeland.”

The Palestinian authorities said at least 400 more people had been killed in Gaza on the first day of the full ground offensive.

As the assault began, Israel cut off all internet and phone communications in Gaza. Aid agencies and the United Nations reported that they were no longer able to communicate with their staff or confirm their safety.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten. Reporting by Jeremy Bowen in southern Israel and Rushdi Abualouf in Gaza.

Saudi Arabia Warns U.S.: Israeli Invasion of Gaza Could Be Catastrophic

THE NEW YORK TIMES: In discussions with their American counterparts, Saudi officials have framed a ground war as a potentially devastating blow to stability in the Middle East.

Saudi officials have firmly warned the United States in recent days that an Israeli ground incursion into Gaza could be catastrophic for the Middle East.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut and a member of the Armed Services Committee, was one of 10 senators who met last weekend with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

“The Saudi leadership was hopeful that a ground operation could be avoided for reasons of stability as well as the loss of life,” Mr. Blumenthal told The New York Times on Thursday. Saudi officials warned it would be “extremely harmful,” he said.

Senior Saudi officials have delivered even more forceful exhortations to their American counterparts in multiple conversations, raising their concerns that a ground invasion could turn into a disaster for the entire region, according to one Saudi official and a second person with knowledge of the discussions. » | Kate Kelly, Vivian Nereim, Mark Mazzetti and Edward Wong | Kate Kelly and Vivian Nereim reported from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Mark Mazzetti and Edward Wong reported from Washington. | Friday, October 27, 2023

Tanks and Infantry Raid Gaza as Israel "Prepares Battlefield" for Ground Offensive - BBC News

Oct 26, 2023 | Israeli tanks and infantry have carried out their biggest ground raid into Gaza since the start of the current conflict. Israel’s military said they were “preparing the battlefield” ahead of an expected full-scale ground offensive.

The overnight raid came as Israel continued its massive airstrikes in Gaza, which the Palestinian authorities say have claimed the lives of 7,000 people, most of them civilians and many of them children.

Israel says its operations are targeting Hamas, following their raid on Israel on 7 October in which 1,400 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage.

Jeremy Bowen reports for BBC News at Ten.