Israel Launches Intense Large-Scale Attack on Gaza Strip... Communications Cut Off Across the Region

The Israeli military, engaged in a war with the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, launched a large-scale attack on the Gaza Strip on the afternoon of the 27th (local time) using missiles, artillery, and tanks. This has caused communication outages across the Gaza Strip, leading to analyses that Israel has carried out its most intense attack since the outbreak of the current crisis.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which had amassed tens of thousands of regular troops and hundreds of thousands of reservists near the Gaza border, began their offensive that night by concentrating bombings from the northern Gaza Strip. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari held a press conference and said, "Tonight, ground forces are expanding operations in the Gaza Strip," urging local residents to "evacuate south." He added, "We will continue to attack Gaza City and its surroundings," and stated, "We are acting to protect Israel's security interests."

Mark Negev of the Israeli Prime Minister's Office commented on the ground operation, saying, "The Gaza Strip will be very different after this operation ends," and added, "Hamas will pay the price for its crimes against humanity, and we will begin our retaliation tonight."

American CNN, British BBC, and other broadcasters cited their reporters and local residents, reporting that Israel unleashed airstrikes, artillery shelling, and tank fire on the Gaza Strip, with this unusually powerful attack lasting for an extended period. Fox News also reported hearing a series of powerful explosions near the Gaza border and stated that this is the most intense attack on Gaza since the war began on the 7th. Hamas's armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, reported that a large number of missiles were launched from southern Israeli cities such as Sderot.

As the Israeli military intensified its offensive that day, all communications including internet and mobile networks across the Gaza Strip were completely cut off. Internet monitoring firm NetBlocks also reported, as conveyed by Reuters, that "amid reports of heavy bombardment in the Gaza Strip, real-time network data shows that internet connectivity in the area has been severed."

Hamas has adopted a posture of resistance, vowing to repel any full-scale Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. Ezat al-Rishaq, a senior official of Hamas's political bureau, warned via Telegram, "If Netanyahu has decided to enter Gaza, the resistance forces are ready," and cautioned, "The bodies of Netanyahu's soldiers will be swallowed by the land of Gaza." Hamas also issued a statement claiming, "Israel has cut off communications and most internet connections throughout the Gaza Strip," and asserted, "Israel took these measures to carry out bloody reprisals by air, land, and sea."

Shortly after news of the IDF's large-scale operation broke, United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "I repeatedly call for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of necessary relief supplies." John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the U.S. National Security Council (NSC), said in a press briefing, "I will not comment on what they intend to do on the ground," emphasizing that he would not disclose information that could affect operational security.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi criticized the situation on X, calling it "a massive humanitarian disaster." He raised his voice, saying, "Voting against the Arab UN General Assembly resolution means endorsing this senseless war and senseless slaughter."

Despite international concerns over Palestinian civilian casualties, Israel has been moving toward full-scale war by conducting nighttime ground operations using tanks in the Gaza Strip over the past two days. In an earlier briefing that day, Hagari mentioned that Hamas's command center is located underground at Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in Gaza, implying it would be a key target for ground forces. Analysts suggest that Israel's decision to resume full-scale ground operations on this day, despite it being the Jewish Sabbath (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset), was prompted by Hamas's earlier air raids targeting the capital, Tel Aviv.

That afternoon, Hamas's armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, launched multiple rocket barrages on Tel Aviv, the Israeli capital, resulting in numerous injuries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.