Hamas vows 'full force' after Israel steps up Gaza ground operations

Hamas said on Saturday its militants in Gaza were ready to confront Israeli attacks with "full force" after Israel's military widened its air and ground attacks on the Palestinian enclave.  After Israel reported increased attacks in Gaza, the militant Palestinian organisation that controls the territory announced earlier that its forces were engaged in combat with Israeli troops in locations close to the Israeli border.

In an early statement on Saturday, Hamas declared, "The Al-Qassam brigades and all the Palestinian resistance forces are completely ready to confront (Israel's) aggression with full force and frustrate its incursions." "Netanyahu and his defeated army will not be able to achieve any military victory," referring to the Israeli prime minister.

This came even as Israel rejected a resolution passed in the United Nations General Assembly which called for an immediate humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas and demanded aid access to the besieged Gaza Strip and protection of civilians. 

Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated in a televised news briefing on Friday night, "In addition to the attacks carried out in the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight," raising the possibility that the much-anticipated ground invasion of Gaza may be getting underway.

He said that massive raids against Hamas-dug tunnels and other facilities were being carried out by Israel's air force. The armed wing of Hamas reported late on Friday that its militants were engaged in combat with Israeli soldiers in the central region of Al-Bureij and in the northeastern town of Beit Hanoun in Gaza.

Israel said 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, some of them foreign nationals or with dual Israeli nationality.

On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a resolution drafted by Arab states calling for an immediate humanitarian truce and demanded aid access to Gaza and protection of civilians. It passed to a round of applause with 121 votes in favour, while 44 abstained and 14 - including Israel and the United States - voted no.