Israel has confirmed it's in the early stages of a new military assault on Gaza. Thousands of more troops are expected to be deployed as part of this operation. Israel plans to consolidate the seizure of territory. The army says it will quote: 'seize and control' what is calls strategic areas of Gaza.
Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary reports live from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, while Hamdah Salhut joins from Amman, the capital of Jordan. She is based there due to the Israeli government's ban on Al Jazeera’s reporting from within Israel and the occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, Gideon Levy, a columnist for Haaretz newspaper, warns that the continuation of the war could ultimately harm Israel itself. In addition, Professor Sultan Barakat of Public Policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University joins us in the Al Jazeera studio to discuss the latest developments.
