Israel launches a military ground offensive in the Gaza Strip: "I said we would charge a very high price to Hamas"

The Israeli Army announced on Thursday a ground incursion by its Armed Forces into the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip, a military action that represents a significant escalation of violence after the deadly aerial bombardments and Israeli artillery in recent days.

For now, it is unknown whether the Israeli incursion is a limited attempt to destroy the bases from which rockets have been launched against its territory, or to kill leaders of Hamas, the Palestinian organization (considered terrorist by Israel and other allied countries) that controls Gaza;

or if, on the contrary, it is an invasion like the one that occurred in 2014, which caused the death of more than 2,000 Palestinians.  

"Israeli aviation and ground troops are currently carrying out an attack in the Gaza Strip," the Israeli Army was limited to saying. 

The Israeli army did not elaborate on the operation, but in recent days between 3,000 and 4,000 soldiers have gathered at the border, according to military officials.

Those figures suggest a more limited operation because a large-scale invasion would require many more troops.

"I said that we would charge a very high price to Hamas and the rest of the terrorist organizations

,

"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement issued shortly after the offensive began.

“We are doing this and we will continue to do it with great force.

This operation will continue as long as necessary to restore peace and security in the State of Israel, "he added.

Hamas launched a large number of missiles towards Israel on Thursday, while the Israelis hit the Gaza Strip with more airstrikes and artillery, and also summoned thousands of reservists for the ground incursion this Friday at dawn (local time) . 

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Previous fighting between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas, including a devastating war in 2014, had been largely confined to the impoverished and blockaded Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip and to Israeli border communities.

But this time the conflict appears to be spreading further afield and more widely than at any time since the Palestinian uprising in 2000.

Hostilities have intensified in recent days despite the efforts of Egyptian mediators who held face-to-face meetings with both parties.

With information from The Associated Press