UPDATE: Israel’s announcement of a ground operation in Gaza may have been intended to misdirect Hamas militants. While the Israeli army bombarded Gaza on Thursday, the army later clarified that troops did not enter the territory.

(JTA) — Israel’s army unleashed a wider military attack on Gaza Thursday night, inaugurating a new phase in a conflict that has claimed dozens of lives in the last several days.

The war has already reached several milestones in a region accustomed to conflict. Hamas, the terrorist group that controls Gaza, has sent more than 1,000 rockets into Israel, straining the co...