It's Raining Fire in Gaza: Israel Starts Ground Invasion

Palestinians say it is raining fire in Gaza, after Israel started ground operations into the besieged enclave tonight.

Home to about 1.7 million Palestinians, Gaza is bordered by Israel on one side and Egypt on another. Both borders are heavily controlled, leaving residents with nowhere to run. Critics of Israel's occupation have described Gaza as an open-air prison.

On Twitter, Jehan Alfarra, with 8K followers, says:

Gaza Writes Back, who has 36.4K followers on Twitter, says the start of the land invasion and the heavy bombardment has turned “the whole of Gaza into a ball of fire”:

And iFalasteen, also from Gaza, tweets to his 26.8K followers:

Also, in Gaza, Palestine, shares this photograph from the bombardment in Gaza tonight with his 10k followers on Twitter:

In another photograph, he says:

Photographer Jehad Saftawi shares a photograph from the Gaza borders, showing the start of the operation:

While Lara Abu Ramadan, Palestinian journalist, translator and a freelance photographer based in Gaza, explains:

And Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah, shares this link of a livestream from Gaza:

Meanwhile, journalist Richard Hall, who is based in Paris, reminds his 6,800 followers:

Today is the 11th day of the start of “Operation Defensive Edge,” which has left more than 230 Palestinians dead, including women and children, and more than 1,500 injured.

From Gaza, Hamas, which has ruled the strip since 2007, has fired missiles into Israel. Most of the rockets coming into Israel have caused no serious damage, due in part to the US-funded Iron Dome aerial defense system, which has intercepted at least 70 projectiles so far, according to the Guardian.

With the group operations, the casualties are expected to rise.

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