Israel-Gaza war: Israel moves on to ‘next stage of war’ as ground operation expands

His comments signalled the gradual ramping up toward what is expected to evolve into an all-out ground offensive in northern Gaza.

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza on Saturday rose to just over 7,700 people since October 7, with 377 deaths reported since late Friday, according to the territory’s health ministry. A majority of those killed have been women and minors, the ministry said.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra told reporters that the disruption of communications has “totally paralysed” the health network.

03:05

Humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza as food supplies run out after total Israeli blockade

Humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza as food supplies run out after total Israeli blockade

Residents had no way of calling ambulances, and emergency teams were chasing the sounds of artillery barrages and air strikes to search for people in need.

Some civilians were using their bare hands to pull injured people from the rubble and loading them into personal cars or donkey carts to rush them to the hospital. In a video posted by local media, Palestinians were sprinting down a ravaged street with a wounded man covered in the dust of a building’s collapse while he winced, eyes clenched shut, on a stretcher. “Ambulance! Ambulance!” the men shouted as they shoved the stretcher into the back of a pickup truck and shouted at the driver, “Go! Go!”

Other residents travelled by foot or car to check on their relatives and friends. “The bombs were everywhere, the building was shaking,” said Hind al-Khudary, a journalist in central Gaza and one of a few people with mobile phone service. “We can’t reach anyone or contact anyone. I do not know where my family is.”

Israel says its strikes target Hamas fighters and infrastructure and that the militants operate from among civilians, putting them in danger.

Across Gaza, terrified civilians were huddling in homes and shelters with food and water supplies running out. Electricity was knocked out by Israel in the early stages of the war.

More than 1.4 million people have fled their homes, nearly half crowding into UN schools and shelters. Aid workers say the trickle of aid Israel has allowed to enter from Egypt the past week is a tiny fraction of what is needed. Gaza hospitals have been scrounging for fuel to run emergency generators that power incubators and other life-saving equipment.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which runs an extensive network of shelters and schools for nearly half the displaced Gaza residents, has lost contact with most of its staff, spokeswoman Juliette Touma said on Saturday. She said that coordinating aid efforts was now “extremely challenging”.

The intensified air and ground campaign also raised new concerns about dozens of hostages dragged into Gaza on October 7. On Saturday, hundreds of relatives of hostages gathered in a square in downtown Tel Aviv, demanding to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant.

Some in the group demanded that Israel push for the release of all hostages before proceeding with the campaign against Hamas. Protesters wore shirts emblazoned with the faces of their missing relatives under the word “kidnapped” and the words “Bring them back”.

The families “feel like they’re left behind and no one is really caring about them”, said Miki Haimovitz, a former lawmaker and spokeswoman for the group. “No one is talking to them. No one is explaining what’s going on.”

Gallant later said he would meet with the families on Sunday.

In Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said his government was working to de-escalate the conflict through its talks with the warring parties to release prisoners and hostages. He did not provide further details but urged for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying the number of trucks allowed into the besieged territory is far below the needs of Gaza’s population.

“The needs are massive,” he said, noting the importance of all aid being delivered.

Egypt’s foreign ministry warned about “gave risks” of a wide-scale Israeli ground invasion, slamming Israel for not respecting the UN General Assembly’s resolution on Friday calling for a “humanitarian truce”.

Hagari, the army spokesman, said the confirmed number of hostages was 229, after four were released in recent days through mediation by Qatar and Egypt. He dismissed media reports about a possible ceasefire deal in exchange for the release of hostages, saying Hamas was engaged in a “cynical exploitation” of the anxieties of relatives of hostages.

More than 1,400 people were slain in Israel during Hamas’ October 7 attack, according to the Israeli government. Among those killed were at least 311 soldiers, according to the military.

Palestinian militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel over the past three weeks.

The overall number of deaths in Gaza and Israel far exceeds the combined toll of all four previous Israel-Hamas wars, estimated at around 4,000.

Gallant said on Friday that Israel expects a long and difficult ground offensive into Gaza soon. It “will take a long time” to dismantle Hamas’ vast network of tunnels, he said, adding that he expects a lengthy phase of lower-intensity fighting as Israel destroys “pockets of resistance”.

‘Anything is possible’: Iran warns of new fronts against US if war persists

His comments pointed to a potentially gruelling and open-ended new phase of the war after three weeks of relentless bombardment. Israel has said it aims to crush Hamas’ rule in Gaza and its ability to threaten Israel. But how Hamas’ defeat will be measured and an invasion’s endgame remain unclear. Israel says it does not intend to rule the tiny territory but not who it expects to govern – even as Gallant suggested a long-term insurgency could ensue.

In Washington, the Pentagon said US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Gallant on Friday and “underscored the importance of protecting civilians during the Israel Defence Forces’ operations and focusing on the urgency of humanitarian aid delivery for civilians in Gaza”. The Pentagon said Austin also brought up “the need for Hamas to release all of the hostages”.

The conflict has threatened to ignite a wider war across the region. Arab nations – including US allies and ones that have reached peace deals or normalised ties with Israel – have raised increasing alarm over a potential ground invasion, likely to bring even higher casualties amid urban fighting.