Israel has signaled its intention to encircle its largest city Gaza Stripposting photos of tanks on the west coast of the Palestinian enclave, 48 hours after his expanded ground operation there began.

The “second phase” of the war against Hamas, as Israel calls it, was initially kept out of the public eye. Israeli forces were moving through the night and telecommunications in Gaza were disrupted. Telephone connection and internet are gradually being restored today, according to residents of the enclave.

In addition to the photos of the tanks released by the army, other photos released on social media sites show Israeli soldiers raising the Israel flag in the territory of Gaza. In other images, bulldozers are seen clearing roads in the Gaza Strip, and others show Merkava tanks, accompanied by infantry.

Reuters was unable to verify these photos.

THE Hamas reported that it had fired mortar shells at Israeli forces in northern Gaza and hit tanks with rockets, downplaying reports of an advance by its enemy.

“Israel cut us off from the world to make us disappear but we hear the sounds of the explosions and we are proud that the resistance fighters stopped them a few meters away,” said Shaban Ahmed, a civil servant who remained in Gaza City despite the warnings. of Israeli forces to the residents to flee to the south.

In the past 24 hours, Israeli forces (IDF) fighter jets hit more than 450 Hamas targets, including command centers, observation posts and anti-tank rocket launchers, the army said today. Many gunmen emerged from a tunnel near the border with Israel and were killed or wounded in clashes with Israeli soldiers, he added.

“We are gradually expanding the ground operations of our forces in the Gaza Strip,” IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.