Hamas says ready for prisoner swap as Israel Defense Force intensifies ground ops

Israel launched a massive ground assault in Gaza City, which Israel said has now "transformed into a battlefield".

Combined combat forces of armor, combat engineers and infantry have been operating on the ground in northern Gaza since early Friday evening.

As part of the operation IDF soldiers:

🔴Identified terrorist cells attempting to launch anti-tank missiles and mortar shells and struck… pic.twitter.com/QVv44VrXD0

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 28, 2023

Amid this, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar made the proposal, stating that the group is ready for an "immediate" prisoner swap with Israel.

"We are ready to conduct an immediate prisoner exchange deal that includes the release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for all prisoners held by the Palestinian resistance," Sinwar said in a statement.

Hamas has stated that it is working to locate eight hostages, who have dual Russian-Israeli citizenship, in response to Moscow's request for their release.

Russia maintains positive diplomatic relations with Hamas and does not classify them as a terrorist organisation.

This has prompted Russia to initiate diplomatic efforts to secure the release of hostages in Gaza.

Since Hamas operatives crossed the border on October 7, resulting in casualties and hostages, Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion.

The Israeli military believes that the core leadership and infrastructure of Hamas are concentrated in the northern region.

Based on this assumption, Israel has intensified its strikes in this area. Earlier, Israeli authorities urged civilians in northern Gaza to relocate to safer areas in the south.

Last night, Israel launched intense raids at Gaza with the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) claiming a top Hamas commander and several fighters being killed in air raids.

Israel said that they had hit 150 "underground targets" of the Hamas.

A BBC journalist described "total chaos" during the night of strikes and in its aftermath.

"There was a huge bombardment in the north of Gaza Strip on a scale we've never seen before. At the hospital here, ambulance drivers told me they couldn't communicate with anyone, so they were just driving in the direction of the explosions," wrote Rushdi Abualouf.

Meanwhile, Israel Defense spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, stated that their troops are currently active in the area, asserting that they are engaged in combat with a "weaker enemy".

He also confirmed that aid vehicles, loaded with essential supplies like food and water, will be granted entry into Gaza today. Alongside the impact of Israeli airstrikes, the area is grappling with acute shortages of fundamental resources such as food, fuel, and medicine.

Under the impact of Israeli strikes, the area is grappling with acute shortages of basic necessities such as food, fuel, and medicine.

The recent overnight strikes on Friday also resulted in a disruption of internet and phone services.

Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental organization, has voiced apprehension that this communication blackout may potentially obscure large-scale atrocities.

Hamas has stated that its members are prepared to counter Israeli attacks in Gaza with full force. The Palestinian militant group, which rules Gaza, reported clashes between its operatives and Israeli troops in areas near the Israeli border.

Israel has accused Hamas of using Gaza's largest hospital as its operational center and of utilizing other hospitals for military purposes. Hamas has denied these allegations.