Israel expands ground activity in Gaza, military spokesman says

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday the military is expanding its ground operations into Gaza. 

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the army’s spokesman, said aerial attacks had been targeting Hamas tunnels and other targets.

"In addition to the attacks that we carried out in recent days, ground forces are expanding their activity this evening,” he said. “The IDF is acting with great force ... to achieve the objectives of the war.”

Sources tell Fox News that mobile comms systems inside Gaza have collapsed entirely, rendering communications for civilians virtually impossible. A Palestinian telecom provider told the Associated Press internet service in the Gaza Strip has been cut off by Israeli bombardment.

Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported the main internet and cell towers across Gaza are down, but some civilians are able to get signals by bouncing off Israeli towers across the border.

In the past few days, Israel has conducted brief ground incursions with troops and tanks to pave the way for a full-scale invasion to eradicate Hamas. Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told journalists Friday it is not a question of if, but when Israel conducts a ground operation to eliminate Hamas.  

The Israel Defense Forces said earlier Hamas terrorist targets were struck by ground troops, fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles over the past 24 hours. There were no injuries reported by the Israeli military and the troops were quickly out of the area.

Targets hit by the IDF include anti-tank missile launch sites, command and control centers, and Hamas operatives, according to the army.

The brief ground incursion overnight Thursday mostly impacted the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of the northern Gaza Strip, according to Fox News' Mike Tobin, and marked the second consecutive night of such operations ahead of a looming invasion.