The announcement comes after intensified airstrikes launched by the Israeli Air Force over the past week. "IDF troops have begun extensive ground operations throughout northern and southern Gaza as part of Operation 'Gideon's Chariots,'" the IDF announced Sunday morning.

The Israel Defense Forces announced the start of the first stage of a large-scale operation in the Gaza Strip, called "Gideon's Chariots". In particular, it is

Israel launched an extensive ground operation in Gaza Sunday in addition to an intense air campaign that health officials in the territory say killed over 100 people overnight and shuttered the last functioning hospital in the enclave’s north.