Hamas said it is clashing with Israeli forces in northern Gaza, this is as the Israeli military make incursion into Gaza.
Though, it was yet to announce the beginning of planned ground invasion.
The military wing of Hamas, the Al Qassam Brigades, however said on Friday night that it is confronting an Israeli military ground incursion in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The Hamas statement says “violent engagements” are taking place on the ground near Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, and Bureij in the centre. It did not give further details about what form the clashes were taking.
The BBC cannot verify these Hamas claims, and while Israel said earlier tonight that it was intensifying its attacks on Gaza, it has not released any details of what the “expansion” of its ground operation involves.
Israel however declined to say if the incursion marks the start of Gaza ground offensive.
It however confirmed that its ground forces were “expanding operations” in Gaza.
Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy told BBC that “Israel has expanded ground operation in the Gaza Strip, but beyond that, I’m not going to comment on operational matters.”
