Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday that the Israeli forces had initiated the second phase of the Gaza war, involving ground operations against Hamas militants. He expressed the commitment to eliminate the enemy both above and below the ground.

Gaza's population faced severe communication limitations with the outside world, while Israeli airstrikes continued to target the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory. Furthermore, the health ministry in Gaza, under Hamas rule, reported that over 8,000 individuals had lost their lives in the conflict with Israel since it began on October 7.