Explosions were seen in the night sky above northern Gaza on Friday night (27 October) as Israel said that its ground forces would expand its ground offensive on Hamas. Communications in the Gaza Strip have been knocked out in intensified attacks, with the 2.3 million population largely cut off from contact with each other and other countries. Israel says it is targeting Hamas fighters who it claims are operating from among civilians. Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf said on Friday that he could not get through to his wife’s mother and her husband after communications were cut off.