Ammon News - Ynet newspaper quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as confirming that the army had launched a powerful operation in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu's confirmation of the start of the operation came at the beginning of his testimony before the Tel Aviv District Court.

The operation began at the end of a wave of large-scale attacks on the Gaza Strip last night, the sound of which was heard in the center of the country, according to Ynet.

Minutes after Netanyahu's approval, the Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, announced that "the Israeli army begun destroying Hamas infrastructure in Gaza City."