Read a live blog of the war between Israel and Hamas from Monday, November 6 here

The Gaza Strip is completely bisected by the Israeli Army (IDF). After Israeli forces reached the Gaza Strip coast on Sunday evening, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said there was “northern Gaza and southern Gaza.” The encirclement of Gaza City, the largest city in the Gaza Strip, has also been completed. The army expects the assault on the city to begin within 48 hours.

However, according to the spokesman, civilians will still be able to flee to the southern part of the Gaza Strip. ‘It’s a one-way road to the south,’ he said plainly. For three weeks, the IDF has been calling on residents of the northern Gaza Strip and Gaza City to temporarily move south, away from the heart of the war against Hamas.

The army on Sunday evening began expanding air and ground strikes in the densely populated coastal area, in what he called a “major operation”. The escalation of Israeli attacks almost coincided with the shutdown of all communications and internet services in the Gaza Strip, which Palestinian telecommunications company Baltel announced on Sunday.

Last week, Israeli soldiers entered the Gaza Strip for ground operations. An objective was to reach the sea from the east, thus dividing the region in two. Israel plans to completely wipe out the northern part of the Gaza Strip and drive Hamas out of the area.

Editorial, ANP