Violent bombing targets Gaza... and demonstrations calling for a truce and the release of hostages.

Violent bombing targets Gaza... and demonstrations calling for a truce and the release of hostages.  

The Palestinian News Agency "Wafa" reported a series of violent Israeli raids on the northern and northwestern regions of the Gaza Strip, while demonstrations demanding a ceasefire took place in several cities around the world .  

Local sources indicated to the agency that Israeli aircraft massively fired a group of missiles at Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, and Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, coinciding with the firing of artillery shells at the same areas .  

She added that Israeli aircraft also launched a series of raids on northwest Gaza City, simultaneously bombing Israeli gunboats on downtown Gaza City .  

The agency said that this Israeli escalation comes after the violent raids during the past hours on the Gaza Strip, which led to a complete interruption of communications networks and the Internet .  

On Friday evening, the northern Gaza Strip was subjected to intense Israeli bombardment, “the heaviest” since the beginning of the last war, amid the Israeli army’s talk of intensifying its operations and cutting off the Internet in the Strip .  

The Israeli army spokesman said that the Israeli air and ground forces are intensifying their operations in the Gaza Strip .  

Admiral Daniel Hagari added in a press briefing, “In addition to the attacks carried out in the past few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight .”  

On Friday evening, the Gaza authorities announced a complete blackout of communications and the Internet in the Strip .  

The Palestinian News Agency, Wafa, described the Israeli raids as “violent and unprecedented.” It stated that local television channels that broadcast developments in events have moved to "relying on satellites to transmit images and communicate with their correspondents, in light of the cessation of regular or Internet-based communications ."  

The Red Crescent Society expressed its concern for the safety of its crews working in the Gaza Strip, considering the complete loss of communication with the operations room in the Strip .  

Civil defense crews also face difficulty in identifying target locations to evacuate the injured because of the intense bombing and communications outages .  

Earlier Friday, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced that the army “will expand its ground operations” on Friday evening in the Gaza Strip. Hagari said that the expansion of ground operations follows “a series of strikes (launched by the army) in recent days .”