Operation cast lead ground invasion

Following the air strikes, on January 3, 2009, Israel commenced a ground invasion into the Gaza Strip. This phase involved infantry, tanks, and engineering forces, penetrating deep into Gaza. The objective was to destroy tunnels, rocket launching sites, and other military infrastructure of Hamas. The urban and densely populated nature of the battlefield led to intense and complex urban combat situations, involving house-to-house fighting and significant civilian casualties and displacement.