VIDEO: Israel intensifies bombing in Gaza and expands ground operations, internet completely cut off

Israeli air and ground forces are stepping up operations in the Gaza Strip, Israel's chief military spokesperson said on Friday, amid reports of heavy bombing of the besieged enclave, where internet and mobile phone services were cut off.

"In the last hours, we intensified the attacks in Gaza," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a televised news briefing.
He said the air force was conducting extensive strikes on tunnels and other infrastructure.

"In addition to the attacks carried out in the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight," he said, raising expectations that the long-anticipated ground invasion of Gaza may be beginning.

Israeli forces have massed outside Gaza, where Israel has been conducting an intense campaign of aerial bombardment since a deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Hamas.

Earlier on Friday, Palestinian mobile phone service provider Jawwal said that services including phone and internet had been cut by heavy bombardment.

A statement from the Palestine Red Crescent Society said it had completely lost contact with its operations room in Gaza and all its teams operating on the ground.

AFP journalists in Gaza confirmed they were only able to communicate in limited areas where they could connect to Israeli networks across the border.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the "disruption affects the central emergency number 101 and hinders the arrival of ambulance vehicles to the wounded" in the ongoing strikes.

The organisation said it was "deeply concerned" about its medics' ability to continue providing care, as well as staff safety.

"We have completely lost contact with the operations room in the Gaza Strip and all our teams operating there," it said on X, formerly Twitter.

"The heavy bombardment in the last hour destroyed all remaining international routes connecting Gaza to the outside world," Jawwal wrote on its Facebook page.

Global internet monitor NetBlocks reported "a collapse in connectivity in the Gaza Strip with high impact to Paltel," Jawwal's owner, citing live network data.

"The company is the last remaining major operator to supply service as connectivity declines amid ongoing fighting with Israel," NetBlocks wrote on X.