Israel says Gaza ground offensive 'soon,' Hamas naval operative killed

Israel has said that a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip is imminent. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told troops near the border that the order to enter the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave would come "soon".

“You now see Gaza from afar. Soon you will see it from the inside. The order will come,” Gallant told troops of the Givati Brigade.

Israeli military officials said the war, which now entered its 14th day, would go on for "long" and the fighting would be "difficult" and "intense". However, they expressed optimism that Israel would win against Hamas.

Earlier Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited a group of soldiers stationed at Golani near the Gaza border and boosted their morale. He said Israel would win with "all our might".

Meanwhile, in a joint operation by the IDF and naval forces, Mabduh Shaalabi, a Hamas special naval forces operative, was killed. In a statement, the Israeli military said Shaalabi was involved in terror attacks against Israel from the sea.

Shaalabi was targeted while in an operational command centre, the statement said.

As the war rages on, the death toll in Gaza continued to rise. The Palestinian Health Ministry has said that so far, 3,859 people have died since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 and Israel's counteroffensive against the armed group.

Additionally, 12,493 people have been injured, including 3,983 children and 3,300 women, said Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson Dr Ashraf Al-Qidra.