Israel launches Gaza war’s second phase -Netanyahu

STORY: Israel is now in its second phrase of the Gaza war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday…Adding that forces are carrying out ground operations against Hamas militants."The war inside the Gaza Strip will be difficult and long – and we are prepared for it," he said.This Israel Defense Forces footage purports to show that second stage unfolding in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave.Netanyahu once again called on Palestinian civilians to leave the northern Gaza Strip — the focus of Israel's attack.Israel has tightened its blockade on Gaza and bombarded it for three weeks now.People are isolated – with a telephone and internet blackout that began on Friday.Many buildings there have been reduced to rubble.People are scrambling for food, water, fuel and medicine. Gaza health authorities say over 7,500 Palestinians have been killed in the campaign.On October 7, an assault by Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis in the deadliest day of the nation's 75-year history.Meanwhile, there has been growing concern internationally over the toll from the bombing in Gaza… and calls for a pause to let aid get to Gaza civilians.Here's U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk:"I am raising alarm about the possibly catastrophic consequences of large-scale ground operations in Gaza and the potential for thousands more civilians to die. Continued violence is not the answer."Also on Saturday, Netanyahu met with families of Israelis being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas… …vowing to exhaust every possibility to bring the more than 200 of them home.