ADDS MORE DETAILS, EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Mustafa Deveci
SDEROT, Israel (AA) - The Israeli army on Saturday said it hit 150 "underground targets" in the north of the blockaded Gaza Strip throughout the night, as it expanded operations in the territory.
It said in a statement that members of Hamas were eliminated, while "combat tunnels, underground combat spaces and other terrorist infrastructure" was destroyed.
The Israeli army on Friday widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7. International aid agencies said they lost contact with staff in Gaza after Israel knocked out internet and communications.
The conflict escalated dramatically after the unprecedented attack involving rockets and sending hundreds of fighters into Israeli towns.
At least 7,326 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli attacks. Some 70% of the Palestinian deaths are women and children, according to official figures.The death toll in Israel stands at more than 1,400.
Gaza's 2.3 million residents are grappling with shortages of food, water, and medicine due to Israel’s massive air bombardment and total blockade of the enclave.
UN General Assembly late Friday approved a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce, but Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called it “despicable” and rejected it.
The near-total information blackout in Gaza risks providing cover for "mass atrocities," said the Human Rights Watch.
Amnesty International, for its part, called on Israel to put an immediate end to “indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks,” which have already killed and harmed many civilians.