Israeli Ground Troops Join Attack on Gaza

Israeli ground troops joined its air force in the attack on the Gaza Strip early Friday, the military said in a statement. The UN Security Council will meet to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza on Sunday. The U.S. will continue to actively engage in diplomacy at the highest levels to try to de-escalate tensions. I spoke with @IsraeliPM today about the ongoing situation in Israel including rocket fire emanating from the Gaza Strip targeting Israeli civilians. Israel has the right to defend itself. Palestinians need to be able to live in safety and security. It’s vital now to deescalate.

Israel Defense Forces had tweeted that its troops were "currently attacking in the Gaza Strip." But later, citing an internal miscommunication, it clarified that the troops were firing artillery from inside the Israeli border. "I said we would extract a very heavy price from Hamas," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a videotaped statement. "We are doing that, and we will continue to do that with heavy force." Gaza residents near the border with Israel confirmed to Reuters that they had seen no sign of Israeli ground forces inside the enclave, but they reported heavy artillery fire and dozens of airstrikes.