Israeli tanks entered Gaza last night after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a ground invasion, a major escalation in a 10-day offensive that has already killed more than 230 Palestinians.
According to Al Jazeera, witnesses in Gaza reported heavy bombing from jets, warships and artillery stationed along the border, with much of the firing directed at northern Gaza. The electricity was cut off across a large swathe of the strip, though it was unclear why.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon described the invasion as focused on destroying tunnels connecting Gaza to Israel.
A group of gunmen tried to enter southern Israel through a tunnel from Gaza yesterday morning; the army said eight of the 13 attackers were killed, and Hamas claimed responsibility for the operation. It was the second such incident in the past 10 days.
“[The operation] will deal significant damage to the infrastructure of Hamas and other terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip,” they said.
The escalation came not long after a five-hour “humanitarian ceasefire” requested by the United Nations, which gave residents a brief chance to venture outside before the bombardment resumed.
Both sides largely stopped firing, and people ventured out to markets, grocers, barbers and banks, which opened for the first time in more than a week.
At least 231 Palestinians have been killed so far, including 39 children, and more than 1,700 injured. One Israeli has been killed by rocket fire from Gaza.
Media reports yesterday afternoon, attributed to Israeli officials, suggested that a ceasefire had been agreed and would take effect the next morning. But diplomatic sources said that the parties were still meeting, and both sides have now denied the reports.
Later in the afternoon Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas, told reporters there was no significant progress in the talks. He also denied that any Hamas leaders had even traveled to Cairo: Moussa Abu Marzouq, a senior member of the group, has been meeting with Egyptian mediators, but he has been a longtime resident of Cairo.
Azzam al-Ahmad, a Fatah representative in Cairo, also told Al Jazeera that there was no agreement.
The Israeli delegation in Cairo includes Yoram Cohen, the head of the Shin Bet security service, and Yitzhak Molcho, a close aide to Netanyahu.