Hamas has claimed to repel a ground attack launched by the Israeli occupation forces near Khan Younis along Gaza border in which one Israeli soldier was killed.
An Israeli ground attack was repelled by the Hamas’ military wing al-Qassam Brigades near Khan Younis, according to Al-Jazeera.
An Israeli tank and two bulldozers were destroyed after it crossed the border by a few metres, al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement on Telegram. It added that the fighters bravely engaged with the infiltrating force and safely returned to their bases.
However, there has been no official statement from Israel so far.
Related: Israel steps up Gaza strikes ahead of ground invasion
In another development, Israel’s military admits one of its tanks accidentally hit an Egyptian position outside the Gaza Strip.
It is noteworthy to mention here that a convoy of 17 trucks has brought vital humanitarian aid to Gaza through Rafah crossing.
At least 266 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air attacks on Gaza in the last 24 hours.
Israel confirmed that it struck a mosque in Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, with Palestinian medics reporting at least one person killed.
Related: Israel warns to ‘wipe’ Lebanon off face of Earth
At least 4,651 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the Hamas attack inside Israel with more than 14,000 wounded.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed.
Earlier, Israel heavily bombarded Gaza overnight after warning it would intensify strikes ahead of a ground invasion, as the war entered its third week on Sunday.
As fears mount of a wider conflagration, the Pentagon said it was bolstering its forces in the Middle East to “assist in the defence” of US ally Israel amid “escalations by Iran and its proxy forces” across the region.
A first trickle of aid entered the besieged Gaza Strip on Saturday, but the 20 trucks permitted to cross were described as a “drop in the ocean” given the “catastrophic” humanitarian situation for 2.4 million people.
It was the worst attack on civilians in Israel’s history and coincided with the end of the religious holiday of Sukkot.
The retaliatory bombing campaign has killed more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and reduced swathes of densely populated Gaza to smouldering ruins.
More than 40 percent of all Gaza’s housing has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN citing local authorities, and Israel has halted the delivery of food, water, fuel and electricity.
Israel has massed tens of thousands of troops around the enclave for a widely predicted ground invasion. It says its daily raids have already killed many Hamas leaders and military commanders.
