The Israeli army uncovered 22 underground tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle weapons and killed at least 40 terrorists Friday in its first day of a widespread ground offensive in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the military to prepare for “significant expansion” of the incursion, aimed at weakening Hamas’ infrastructure and crippling its leadership.
The Israel Defense Forces tweeted pictures of the tunnels.
“It is not possible to deal with tunnels only from the air. It needs to be done also from the ground,” Netanyahu said at a special cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv.
“We chose to begin this operation after the other options were exhausted.”
The prime minister ordered the ground incursion — the biggest into Gaza since 2009 — after attempts at a cease-fire fell apart and Israeli air strikes failed to end rocket attacks on the country.
Forty-eight Gaza residents, including a 5-month- old baby, were killed on Friday, bringing the total death toll of Palestinians to 289.
Two Israelis have died, including a 21-year-old soldier killed early Friday morning by friendly fire, Israeli television reported.