Tonight, Israeli Prime Minister B.N said that the second phase of Israel’s war against Hamas has begun. He did not describe it as an invasion. At a news conference, N repeated his pledge to destroy Hamas and returned hostages who were abducted three weeks ago. Today, Israel’s military said its ground forces remain fighting inside Gaza, after an intensive wave of airstrikes targeting Hamas leadership and tunnels. Internet and phones service is down throughout most of the territory, effectively cutting off Gaza from the world. That’s compounding the humanitarian crisis there and fueling outrage over rising civilians’ deaths.

Gaza is in absolute chaos, and Israel’s strikes are only increasing in intensity. Israel Defense Forces said they have killed Hamas’ heads of both its Navy and its Air Force. This is now Israel’s second night of its bombardment of Gaza less than a mile away. Plumes billowed over Gaza today, ominous signs that the lives of two million people have become hell on Earth. Israel Defense Forces waging after their first pummeling of the strip in memory after fireballs Friday night lit up the skies in this new phase of the war. The military Friday lit up the skies in this new phase of the war. The military Friday said fighter jets struck one hundred fifty targets underground, while columns of Israeli tanks attacked from inside Palestinian territory.