Israeli forces attack Gaza Strip

Israeli forces attacked the Gaza Strip on Thursday, marking a new level of conflict in the region amid days of escalating violence.

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) tweeted Thursday (on the East Coast of the U.S.) about the operation, writing that "IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip."

The move follows days of scattered airstrikes and rocket barrages between Hamas and the Israeli military.

“There are ground troops attacking in Gaza, together with air forces, as well," an Israeli military spokesman added to The New York Times. The spokesman later clarified that Israeli troops had not entered Gaza, suggesting the possibility of artillery fire from the outside, the Times notes.

In a second statement sent several hours later, an Israeli military spokesperson asserted to The Hill that Israeli ground troops were not currently in Palestinian territory.