Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (AP)

Around 5,000 US military forces are engaging in the "expanded" Israeli "ground operation" launched in Gaza on Friday night, security sources told Tasnim, adding that the operation involved three divisions and several brigades.

Earlier, Tasnim reported that the US military commanders took charge of the situation in the Israeli army after the Israeli leaders lost all faith in the abilities of their personnel following the humiliating defeat in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

While the Gaza Strip experienced on Friday the heaviest bombardment since the beginning of Israeli aggression 22 days ago, the Israeli army attempted to enter the Gaza Strip from several fronts, including al-Bureij, Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, and north of Khan Yunis. Their strategic goal was to split the Gaza Strip into two or three sections and cut off all means of communication in the area before launching the "next stage of the war."

People in the #Gaza Strip are now completely isolated from the outside world due to the shutdown of Internet and communications services in the Strip followed by unprecedented Israeli bombing.#Palestine #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/Lwc92Mswyq
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 27, 2023

According to Tasnim's analysis, the Israeli army adopted a pattern of announcing a ground invasion into Gaza and then claiming that "the main operation has not started," describing the attack as being "limited in scope," while launching propaganda campaigns to whitewash the failure of the attack.

It is worth noting that a few days earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that "Israel's" ground invasion of the Gaza Strip would be delayed to give the United States the chance to transfer additional air defense systems into the Middle East.

On Friday and Saturday, the Israeli occupation escalated its shelling of the Gaza Strip, primarily targeting eastern and northern areas. This came concurrently with attempts to launch a ground incursion of the Strip, which was repelled by Palestinian Resistance fighters.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported renewed heavy shelling in the vicinity of the Indonesian Hospital and around the al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza.

Palestinian media outlets reported on Saturday morning that over 100 people were killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes targeting a multi-story residential building that sheltered displaced persons in the al-Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City.

The Israeli occupation also targeted a house near the al-Ahly Club in al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, resulting in a large number of casualties.

Sources indicated that Israeli occupation forces used internationally prohibited white phosphorus bombs to shell some areas in Gaza City.