Israeli forces fight through the night as ground operations in Gaza intensify

Israeli forces fought through the night in a significantly expanded ground offensive in Gaza, under the cover of an intense aerial bombardment that has knocked out most communications in the enclave.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for Israel’s military, said the Israel Defense Forces had been carrying out limited incursions into Gaza over the previous two nights and were now “expanding” operations on the ground.

The escalation came 48 hours after Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, told a national audience that his government was preparing a “ground invasion” of Gaza. But it remained unclear on Saturday whether the intensification of military operations was the prelude to a wider war.