Israeli Ground Forces Attack Gaza Strip

Israel's ground military forces attacked the Gaza Strip on Thursday, escalating the conflict in the region after Palestinian and Israeli forces exchanged rockets and airstrikes for several days. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) tweeted Thursday that "IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously announced that IDF soldiers were gathering at the nation’s border in preparation for invasion. While the extent of the Israeli assault was not clear, the IDF later clarified that while ground forces were newly involved in the fighting, Israeli troops were still firing from within Israel. The violence comes after weeks of escalating tensions over planned evictions of Palestinians from a Jerusalem neighborhood and Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque during Ramadan. Israel's ground force movement received coverage from across the political spectrum.