Israeli army conducts 2nd limited incursion into Gaza

ANKARA

The Israeli army carried out a limited incursion into the Gaza Strip early Friday morning, marking the second ground raid since Oct 7.

Israeli military officials, on several occasions, confirmed the army's readiness to conduct a large-scale ground operation in Gaza, but are awaiting a green light from the Israeli political leadership.

According to the Times of Israel news website, the limited raid took place near the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of eastern Gaza City.

It added the raid that lasted for several hours was carried out by infantry, combat engineering, and armored forces under military aircraft cover.

The conflict in Gaza began when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood – a multi-pronged surprise attack on Oct. 7 that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched a relentless bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Nearly 8,500 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,028 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.