KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israel expanded its ground and air assault in Gaza on Sunday, pummeling the north in what residents said was among the worst bombardments of the war as they struggled to count the dead and assess the damage.
Communications in the besieged enclave, cut by Israel on Friday night, were partially restored Sunday morning at the Biden administration’s urging, according to a senior U.S. official.
But growing calls for a cease-fire or humanitarian pause went unheeded as the death toll in Gaza soared past 8,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The families of the more than 220 Israeli citizens and foreign nationals held hostage by Hamas, meanwhile, remained divided over the government’s decision to expand the ground assault. Israeli commanders say the campaign is aimed at dismantling Hamas in Gaza and bringing home the hostages kidnapped by Hamas fighters in their Oct. 7 attack on Israeli communities,in which they also killed more than 1,400 Israelis.
Israel entered a new phase of its war on Hamas on Saturday, expanding its ground attacks after blacking out nearly all communication in the Gaza Strip with increased bombardment and artillery fire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a war for Israel’s existence, and said “‘Never again’ is now.”
Gaza residents described the massive bombardment from the land, air and sea as the most intense of the 3-week-old Israel-Hamas war. It knocked out most communications in the . late Friday and largely cut off the besieged enclave’s 2.3 million people from the world.
Israel pounds Gaza strip, dismissing calls for ceasefire: live updates. Click on the image below to read more ↓ https://t.co/63CYEpTjpB
— CTV News (@CTVNews) October 28, 2023
