The Israeli military has continued its bombardment of the Gaza Strip in response to coordinated attacks by the Islamist group, Hamas.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced on Telegram on Thursday that a large-scale attack was currently underway against Hamas-affiliated targets in the Gaza Strip.
Israel was stunned by a large-scale attack by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip on Saturday and has retaliated with massive airstrikes on the territory.
More than 1,000 have died on each side, with civilians being the majority of those killed.
Israel has massed some 300,000 reserve troops and armoured vehicles on the border with the Gaza Strip.
A ground offensive would be launched on Gaza “when opportune and fit for our purposes,” IDF spokesman, Jonathan Conricus, said in a daily briefing broadcast on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He added that he hoped Thursday would be quieter as “we have a long and very, very dangerous road ahead of us.”
The Israeli military’s goal was to reach Hamas in its network of tunnels and bunkers underneath the densely populated Gaza Strip, Conricus said.
Meanwhile, German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, has offered his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, further support following the unprecedented killing of Israeli civilians by Hamas.
On Wednesday evening, Germany gave the green light to Israel to use two of its Heron TP combat drones in its attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The German Ministry of Defence announced that it has approved an Israeli request to use the unmanned aerial vehicles in the fight against the Islamist group Hamas.
Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, currently leases five of the drones from the Israeli arms manufacturer which builds them.
Two of the aircraft are in Israel, where German soldiers are trained to use them.
German news magazine, Der Spiegel, reported that Israel has suspended the training of the German pilots while the drones are redeployed.
Pistorius, speaking on the fringes of a meeting of NATO defence ministers earlier on Wednesday, had said if the situation worsened, Israel would consult with its partners.
Germany is ready to help, including delivering humanitarian aid if Israel requested it, he said.
Previously, Israeli officials had said that they “do not need support of a military or technical nature,” Pistorius said.
“It is about political support,” he added.
Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, launched a large-scale attack against Israel on Saturday.
Israel responded with ongoing airstrikes on the densely populated coastal enclave.
More than 1,000 people on each side have been killed.
