Hamas has said its fighters in Gaza were ready to confront Israeli attacks with “full force” after Israel’s military widened its air and ground attacks on the Palestinian enclave, Reuters reports.

The armed wing of Hamas said late on Friday its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops in Gaza’s northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and in the central area of Al-Bureij.

“The Al-Qassam brigades and all the Palestinian resistance forces arecompletely ready to confront (Israel’s) aggression with full force andfrustrate its incursions,” Hamas said in a statement early onSaturday.

“Netanyahu and his defeated army will not be able to achieve any military victory,” referring to the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.