Israel launches ground offensive in Gaza

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ordering a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on the 10th day of a military operation against the coastal territory. | Israel launches ground offensive in Gaza

“The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence have instructed the IDF to open tonight a ground operation in order to hit the terror tunnels which penetrate from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory,” a statement from his office says.

The military is tweeting: “A large IDF force has just launched a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. A new phase of Operation Protective Edge has begun.”

The Israeli military says it has launched a ground offensive in Gaza.

The Army said in a statement late on Thursday that after 10 days of Hamas attacks, it has “initiated a ground operation within the Gaza Strip”.

The Army says the objective is to strike a “significant blow to Hamas’ terror infrastructure”.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says that he regrets the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza.

“There can be no military solution to this conflict,” he says. “I regret that despite my repeated urgings and those of many regional and world leaders together, an already dangerous conflict has now escalated even further.”

He urges Israel to “do far more” to stop civilian casualties.

“In the past 24 hours, there have been a number of incidents involving the deaths of civilians, including the appalling killing of four boys on a beach in Gaza city,” Mr. Ban says.