Israel has escalated the ground offensive in Gaza with ongoing clashes between the Israeli army and Hamas militants on Saturday. The latter are responding with anti-tank missiles and the death toll is rising in Gaza Strip.

Twenty Palestinians, including a child, were killed on Saturday morning in raids by the Israeli army, according to the Palestinian services. The number of the dead Palestinians has reached 339, including many women and children and the wounded are now over 2,300.

The military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam brigades, claimed responsibility for an attack on Israeli territory, and spoke of fierce fighting with the army on the Israeli side of the border.

Meanwhile, Hamas released a new video to show that tunnels under the Gaza Strip are still under its control. However, Israelis claim that they have destroyed at least ten tunnels during the last week. Their operations are now focused on the northeast part of Gaza.

Israel’s armed forces chief of staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, said the army was “expanding the ground phase of the operation,” according to a statement.
“There will be moments of hardship,” he warned in a briefing to the military, anticipating further Israeli casualties.