![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/78\/590x\/secondary\/israel-hamas-war-5054900.jpg?r=1699429863796\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, announced on Tuesday evening the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have reached the “heart” of Gaza City, as they continue their ground operation.<\/p>\n
Tel Aviv believes this area, which was the most populous in the Strip before the new war between Hamas and Israel began, is the headquarters of the terror group’s operation and hosts its main infrastructure. Hamas members are known to have built a network of tunnels underneath the city, from which they can lead attacks and seek refuge.<\/p>\n
Israeli soldiers are facing a “complex and difficult” conflict with the terror group’s militants, Maj Gen Yaron Finkelman also said on Tuesday. He explained: “We are fighting at this very hour in significant centres of the Gaza Strip. I have just returned from there. For the first time in a decade, the IDF is fighting in the heart of Gaza City. In the heart of terror. This is a complex and difficult war, and unfortunately, it has costs.”<\/p>\n
Israel started a military operation on Gaza on October 7, in the wake of an unprecedented terror attack launched by Hamas on its territory, which killed more than 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals.<\/p>\n
The Israeli retaliatory airstrikes that followed have killed more than 10,000 people, according to the Hamas-led health ministry in Gaza.<\/p>\n
FOLLOW THIS LIVE BLOG FOR UPDATES ON THE CONFLICT BETWEEN HAMAS AND ISRAEL<\/strong><\/p>\n Good morning from London. I\u2019m Alice Scarsi, I\u2019ll be bringing you all the latest developments on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.<\/p>\nGood morning<\/h3>\n
\n