Israel launched a massive “deception” operation against Hamas, killing large numbers of fighters by hoodwinking the leadership they were about to launch a massive ground offensive.
On hearing of a ground invasion on Thursday evening Gaza’s gunmen were ordered immediately into their tunnel networks to intercept Israeli infantry – and were bombed with huge bunker-buster missiles.
Sources told the Daily Mirror on Friday the toll of Hamas fighters may run into several hundred with one saying: “I believe it may have been at least 200 or more fighters.”
The devastating and brutal deception was launched by the Israeli Defence Force tweeting they were attacking from the ground and air.
This was immediately interpreted as a “ground invasion” but in fact meant tanks, artillery and air-strikes were being launched.
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As Hamas fighters flooding into their attack tunnels Israeli jets were given the signal and pulverised the Gaza tunnels, wiping out a large force of fighters.
At the same time Israel destroyed miles of Hamas tunnels dubbed “the Metro” in Gaza with devastating missile attacks from the air sea and land.
As Hamas rockets continued to fire as many as 160 aircraft, tanks, artillery and even gunboats opened fire in a bid to pin down militant rocket teams.
(Image: REUTERS)
The latest onslaught was met with a a barrage of Hamas rockets as cities throughout Israel saw mass violence between Arab and Jewish groups.
At least 119 people have been killed in Gaza, including 31 children and 19 women, with 830 left others wounded, according to Palestinian medics.
The death toll in Israel stood at eight: a soldier killed on the Gaza border, six Israeli civilians – including two children – and an Indian worker.
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In northern and eastern parts of Gaza, the sound of artillery fire and explosions echoed early on Friday.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said there were reports of more than 200 housing units destroyed or damaged and hundreds seeking shelter in Gaza schools.
Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said: “What we were targeting is an elaborate system of tunnels that spans underneath Gaza, mostly in the north but not limited to, and is a network that the operatives of Hamas use in order to move, in order to hide, for cover.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“We refer to (it) as the Metro.”
Hostilities have fuelled tension between Israeli Jews and the country’s 21% Arab minority.
Street fighting broke out in mixed communities overnight prompting fears of civil war.
Israel’s military said a Palestinian tried to stab a soldier near the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The soldier shot dead the attacker.
A mass build-up of Israeli forces at the Gaza border has raised speculation about a possible repeat of ground invasion.
The Israeli military has put the number of militants killed in Israeli attacks at between 80 and 90.
It said that so far, some 1,800 rockets have been fired at Israel, of which 430 fell short in Gaza or malfunctioned.