Israel bombs central, south Gaza before expected larger ground campaign amid 'multi-front war'

Israel is bombing central and southern Gaza as the Israel Defense Forces is expected to expand its ground campaign in the region, while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Israel is being attacked from seven different areas in what he calls a "multi-front war."

Amid mounting international pressure on Israel to reach a ceasefire or at least use greater restraint in Gaza, the IDF said Tuesday that it hit more than 100 Hamas targets in overnight airstrikes as part of an effort to assist ground forces. 

Israel already ordered residents to leave northern Gaza and on Tuesday it expanded evacuation orders to include central Gaza, according to The Associated Press.

Israel also launched targeted airstrikes against terrorists in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza over the past day, the IDF said.  

Despite the airstrikes from Israel, multiple rockets were still fired from Gaza into southern Israel on Tuesday. 

Israel appears to be expanding its ground efforts as the country works to execute its vow to destroy Hamas following its Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people. Meanwhile, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties, says more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7. 

Meanwhile, Gallant said that Israel's battles extend beyond Gaza. 

"We are in a multi-front war. We are being attacked from seven fronts — Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), Iraq, Yemen and Iran," he said, according to The Times of Israel. "We have already responded and acted on six of those fronts."

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